An environmental emergency has been declared in Brazil’s state of Pará for 120 days due to widespread forest fires and severe drought. Authorities have restricted the use of fire and are deploying additional resources to tackle the blazes.
This is reported by AFP, citing local authorities and data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.
According to the institute’s satellite data, more than 5,000 fire outbreaks have been recorded in Pará since the beginning of November. That is almost as many as in the whole of November 2025. Nearly 700 fires have remained active over the past 48 hours.
The declared environmental emergency includes a ban on using fire to clear pastureland, as well as the mobilisation of additional resources to extinguish fires and prevent new outbreaks.
The spread of the flames is being fuelled by severe drought linked to the El Niño climate phenomenon. It is characterised by warmer surface waters in the tropical Pacific and can lead to higher temperatures and reduced rainfall in the Amazon.
According to the state government, where around 8.7 million people live, the drought has dried out vegetation, allowing fire to spread more quickly. The fires threaten local communities, forests and economic activity.
In the neighbouring state of Amazonas, the effects of large-scale fires were felt as early as the beginning of October. In the city of Manaus, schools were temporarily closed due to heavy smoke and health risks to residents.
In 2024, a record number of forest fires was recorded in the Brazilian Amazon. Experts predict this year’s season could also be challenging, with the peak expected in December.
The Amazon is the world’s largest tract of tropical rainforest and plays an important role in curbing global warming.
- At least four people were killed and two others suffered serious burns as a result of a forest fire in a national park on Indonesia’s main island.