Intense Fires Devastating the Amazon and How You Can Help
September 18, 2024
Out-of-control fires have been sweeping across the Amazon, coating the skylines of countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru with thick clouds of ash and smoke, leading to wildlife loss, school and facility closures, flight cancellations, and mass evacuations. Following a series of droughts earlier in the year, what was once a 3-month fire season has turned into a flaming 6-month nightmare, causing government officials to desperately seek international relief in hopes of stopping further damage to Amazonian forests and local communities.
Using novel data from our real-time Amazon Fires Monitoring app, we documented over 260 major fires across the Amazon during last year’s fire season, impacting millions of acres of pristine forests. With this year’s high rates of deforestation in the Amazon and unprecedented droughts, we are seeing another severe fire season. Our Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Program (MAAP) Director Matt Finer has noted that our team is closely monitoring the current situation to help our sister organizations and partners on the ground take adequate action in understanding and preventing the spread of these fires.
For the past few years, thanks to the generous support of our donor community, Amazon Conservation has helped local governments, communities, and the army in Bolivia – one of the countries most impacted by wildfires – mitigate fire risk by providing technical training and proper equipment to local fire brigades. Unfortunately, many local communities and municipalities’ firefighting teams are extremely underfunded and cannot fight these fires alone. In some parts of the Beni region, local fire brigades don’t even have access to water to combat fires, so this support we provide is vital to help prevent and combat fires.
Despite these roadblocks, not all hope is lost. You can directly support our on-the-ground fire prevention and response efforts, including purchasing much-needed firefighting supplies and safety gear, mobilizing fire brigades to combat fires in remote regions, and supporting fire-free development and education programs to prevent future fires.
YOU have the power to protect these irreplaceable forests and the wildlife that call them home from potential destruction. Please consider supporting our efforts below.
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