MAAP #129: Amazon Fires 2020 – Recap Of Another Intense Fire Year

Base Map. Major Amazon fires 2020 (orange dots) within Amazon watershed (blue line). Data: MAAP.
Base Map. Major Amazon fires 2020 (orange dots) within Amazon watershed (blue line). Data: MAAP.

Following the intense Amazon fire season of 2019 that made international headlines, here we report another major fire year in 2020.

Using our novel real-time Amazon Fires Monitoring app,* we documented over 2,500 major fires across the Amazon in 2020 (see Base Map).

Of these, 88% (2,192 major fires) were in the Brazilian Amazon.

The other 8% (205 fires) and 4% (88 fires) were in the Bolivian and Peruvian Amazon, respectively.

We highlight four major headlines:

  • In the Brazilian Amazon, most fires (51%) burned recently deforested areas, emphasizing the current high deforestation rates.
  • Also in the Brazilian Amazon, in September there was a major spike in forest fires, impacting vast areas of standing forest.
  • In the Bolivian Amazon, many of the fires burned savanna and dry forest ecosystems within protected areas.
  • In the Peruvian Amazon, most fires burned recently deforested areas and high elevation grasslands.

See below for major findings by country.*

 

Brazilian Amazon

Image 1. Major fire burning recently deforested area in Brazilian Amazon (Mato Grosso). Data: Planet.
Image 1. Major fire burning recently deforested area in Brazilian Amazon (Mato Grosso). Data: Planet.

We emphasize the following major findings for the Brazilian Amazon:

  • Over half (51%burned recently deforested areas, defined as areas where the forest was previously cleared between 2018 and 2020 prior to burning (Image 1). These fires burned an estimated 1.8 million acres (742,000 hectares), highlighting the massive current deforestation in Brazil.
  • A striking number (41%) were forest fires, defined here as human-caused fires in standing forest. A rough initial estimate suggests that 5.4 million acres (2.2 million hectares) of Amazon forest burned.
  • Over half (52%) occurred in September, followed by August (26%). September was also when we documented a major shift from recently deforested area fires to forest fires.
  • An important number of major fires (13%) occurred within indigenous territories and protected areas. The most impacted were Xingu and Kayapó Indigenous Territories, Jamanxim National Forest, and Nascentes da Serra do Cachimbo Biological Reserve.
  • The vast majority of the major fires (99%) appear to be illegal, occurring after the fire moratoriums established in July.
  • Para (39%) and Mato Grosso (30%) states had the most fires, followed by Amazonas (16%), Rondonia (11%), and Acre (4%).

Bolivian Amazon

 

Image 2. Major fire in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, in the Bolivian Amazon. Data: Planet.
Image 2. Major fire in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, in the Bolivian Amazon. Data: Planet.

We emphasize the following major findings for the Bolivian Amazon:

  • Many of the fires (46%) occurred in savannas.
  • Another 42% of the fires were located in forests, mostly in the dry forests of the Chiquitano. Note, in November there was a major spike in these fires.
  • Importantly, 25% of the major fires were in protected areas. The most impacted were Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (Image 2), Copaibo Municipal Protected Area, Iténez National Park, Keneth Lee Reserve, Rios Blanco y Negro Wildlife Reserve, and Pampas del Río Yacuma Integrated Management Natural Area.
  • Most of the fires occurred in the department of Beni (51%), followed by Santa Cruz (46%).
  • August had the most fires (27%) followed closely by each of September, October, and November (24% each).

Peruvian Amazon

 

Image 3. Major fire in higher elevation grassland of the Peruvian Amazon. Data: Planet.
Image 3. Major fire in higher elevation grassland of the Peruvian Amazon. Data: Planet.

We emphasize the following major findings for the Peruvian Amazon:

  • Most of the major fires (56%) burned recently deforested areas. Although the pattern is similar to the Brazilian Amazon, the burned (and previously deforested) areas are much smaller.
  • Most of these fires occurred in three regions, Madre de Dios (40%), Ucayali (21%), and Huánuco (15%).
  • There were also numerous major fires (28%) in higher elevation grasslands across several regions (Image 3). We underestimated the number of these fires because, due to the lack of biomass in these ecosystems, they didn’t always register as a major fire in the app.
  • October had the most fires (49%) followed by September (38%).

*Notes

The data, updated through November 8, is based on our analysis of Amazon Conservation’s novel real-time Amazon Fires Monitoring app. The app displays aerosol emissions as detected by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5 satellite. Elevated aerosol levels indicate the burning of large amounts of biomass, defined here as a “major fire”.

Also, check out Mongabay’s real-time Brazilian Amazon fire tracker based on our analysis.

Acknowledgements

The app was developed and updated daily by Conservación Amazónica (ACCA). The data analysis is led by Amazon Conservation in collaboration with SERVIR Amazonia.

 

Citation

Finer M, Villa L, Vale H, Ariñez A, Nicolau A, Walker K (2020) Amazon Fires 2020 – Recap of Another Intense Fire Year. MAAP: 129.

 

Amazon Fires: Providing help on-the-ground and from space

Cutting-edge technology and our supporters’ generosity aided firefighting efforts 

Smoke rising from 2019 Amazon fires A cloud of smoke covered hundreds of major cities all over Latin America in August as fires devastated over a million acres in the Amazon basin. The fires were so fierce and smoke so thick – covering major cities like São Paulo, Brazil for days – that they became front-page news and went viral on social media.

Employing the latest in satellite technology that we have been using to detect deforestation in the Amazon in real-time – through our Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP) – we created 12 timely, fact-based analyses of the Satellite photo pinpointing fire from 2019 Amazon fires nature and location of the fires, as they happened. These reports gave local authorities the information needed so they could take action, and provided  the general public and the media up-to-date information on what was actually happening on the ground.

Our analysis was especially helpful in Bolivia, which was hit the hardest as standing forests within protected areas and critical habitats were burned, including the iconic Chiquitano dry forest. In Brazil, we discovered the fires were of a different nature, as they burned through forests that had been previously cleared for agricultural activities, and not standing forests as it was widely thought. These fires were a sign of a much bigger problem: rampant, unchecked deforestation.

Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests

However, we were able to go far beyond monitoring. Thanks to the overwhelming support of concerned donors, we provided firefighting gear, tools and supplies, as well as water and food, to more than 100 Bolivian firefighters to battle the fires in 6 protected areas covering 17 million acres that were directly affected by the widespread fires. Since many of the fires were in remote locations, adding to the challenge, we also provided crucial support to mobilize firefighting brigades.

The fires have served as a reminder to us of the increasing threat fires bring to the Amazon’s forests. We have since started working more closely with governments and communities to increase fire prevention efforts and scale our approach to support fire-free development of the Amazon. 

This was a story from our 2019 Impact Report. Click here to read about other conservation successes from 2019.

Looking Back: Providing Assistance During the 2019 Amazon Fires

August 2020 just ended its run as a severe Amazon fire month, with 621 major fires being recorded in the Brazilian Amazon alone, with increasing fires being in Peru and 52 major fires in Bolivia as well. The vast majority of the major fires (80%) are burning recently deforested areas, defined here as areas where the forest was previously and recently cleared (between 2018-20) prior to burning. In fact, over a million acres (435,000 hectares) of recently deforested areas burned in 2020.

However, since last year’s fires, we were able to relaunch a real-time fire monitoring app, with improved methodology and the ability to predict fires based on deforestation trends. The new app uses both aerosol and heat data to prioritize large fires (traditional fire alerts use only heat data), and was one of the many initiatives that we were able to undertake with our supporters’ help during last year’s fires season.

Let’s look back at what other assistance we were able to give during the 2019 fire season.

Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests
Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests

Along with this novel app that helps us monitor from the sky, our organization was also helping fight fires on the ground in Bolivia.

As part of our fire management efforts, we worked with several organizations to generate reliable information to implement actions that are helping firefighters and inhabitants of affected areas. We were able to provide communities and governments with fire prevention training and supplies, so that local people could be better prepared and at the forefront of preventing and fighting forest fires.

Donations that we received last year turned into immediate action during the heart of the fire season, enabling us to move quickly to support communities and governments in firefighting and prevention efforts. Using the donations we received, we:

Supplies for volunteers
Supplies for Volunteer Firefighters

Provided 50 firefighting suits and firefighting tools, as well as water, food, and supplies to more than 100 Bolivian volunteer firefighters and park rangers as they worked together to extinguish the fires.

Supported the protection of and firefighting activities in 6 protected areas that were directly affected by the widespread fires in Bolivia, which cover over 17 million of acres of vulnerable and unique ecosystems.

Provided much-needed supplies and maintenance for the vehicles used to mobilize Bolivian fire brigades and park rangers to where the fires were at their worst, for the entire 3 months of the emergency.

Food Supplies for Volunteer Firefighters and Park Rangers
Food Supplies for Volunteer Firefighters

Created 12 real-time, fact-based satellite reports of the fires across the Amazon (with a special focus on Brazil and Bolivia) – dispelling myths and giving policymakers, government officials, the media, and the general public up-to-date information on what was actually happening on the ground.

Provided drone overflights in Peru to analyze the impact of the fires in the region and report this vital information to local governments and affected communities. 

Food for native species who's food sources were destroyed by the fires
Food for native species

Provided food for native species whose food sources were destroyed by the fires.

Advanced our conservation work in the Amazon to ensure the present and future protection of conservation areas and indigenous reserves, that helps governments and local people prevent fires and deforestation from happening in the first place.

We are so grateful for all the support we received last year, and continue to use what was left of donations last year address fires again this year. Additionally, we have improved our real-time fire monitoring app to be more precise, aiding local authorities in detecting and addressing large fires. To support important fire detection and prevention efforts, click here.

 

 

Fire Alert Vs. Aerosol Emission Data

Fire Alert vs. Aerosol Emission Data

Images 1 and 2 shows us how aerosol emission data allows users to prioritize hundreds (or thousands) of heat-based fire alerts. In other words, the aerosol data indicates just the fires that are  actually burning lots of biomass and putting out abundant smoke.

Image of heat-based fire alerts
Image of heat-based fire alerts
Image of aerosol data
Image of aerosol data

Amazon Conservation Develops Method to Accurately Predict Locations of Major 2020 Brazil Fires

WASHINGTON, DC, June 5 – Amazon Conservation revealed in a new report the ability to predict the exact location of major 2020 fires in the Brazilian Amazon, using deforestation data.

The fires in the Brazilian Amazon made international headlines last year. Through analysis of satellite imagery archives, Amazon Conservation made the significant discovery that many fires were burning in recently deforested areas and were not uncontrolled forest fires. Thus, Amazon Conservation is able to predict 2020 fire locations by identifying major deforestation events that occurred earlier this year.

By analyzing data from different fire alert systems implemented in the region, Amazon Conservation estimates the deforestation of over 150,000 hectares (373,240 acres) of primary forest in the Brazilian Amazon through May 25, 2020. The high amount of deforestation creates high potential for another intense fire season.

The fire analysis method and results were published in a series of reports on MAAP, Amazon Conservation’s real-time monitoring portal.

“Based on our findings last year, we know we can predict the locations of 2020 Brazilian Amazon fires based on recent deforestation,” said Dr. Matt Finer, Senior Research Specialist at Amazon Conservation and lead author of the report. “We identified 20 points with large 2020 deforestation events that are likely to burn soon.”

The report presents a base map with probable 2020 fire locations across the Brazilian Amazon, as well as satellite imagery showing examples of recent deforestation events likely to result in major fires.

“Several of the 2020 deforestation events are quite large, over 5,000 acres,” said Nadia Mamani, co-author of the report. “Large fires in these areas could escape to surrounding primary forest.”

Four of the 2020 deforestation areas predicted to burn are in the state of Mato Grosso. 

View the full report here: MAAP #119: Predicting 2020 Brazilian Amazon Fires

About Amazon Conservation

Amazon Conservation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that unites science, innovation, and community to protect the western Amazon – the greatest wild forest on Earth. Amazon Conservation’s has been pioneering conservation efforts in the tropics since 1999. Its unique approach focuses on three strategies: empowering people to become champions for conservation while improving their quality of life; protecting millions of acres of wild places home to hundreds of thousands of species of wildlife; and employing the latest discoveries in science and technology into the field of conservation. 

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For more information contact:

Ana Folhadella

Communications Manager

Amazon Conservation 

Office: (202) 234-2356

Info@amazonconservation.org

www.amazonconservation.org 

 

New Fire Monitoring App Pinpoints Major Fires in Amazon in Real-time, Successfully Identifies First Major Fire in Brazil

WASHINGTON, DC, June 10 – Amazon Conservation today announced the launch of a new real-time fire monitoring app, hosted by Google Earth Engine, in anticipation of the 2020 fire season. The app specializes in providing real-time detection and prediction of large fires across the Amazon basin to help prioritize containment efforts by key actors on the ground, such as government agencies and fire brigades. The app can pinpoint the exact location and source of major fires. 

A major feature of the app is the detection of major fires across the Amazon, based on aerosol emissions detected by a new European Space Agency satellite. When fires burn biomass, they emit aerosols into the atmosphere, and it’s these aerosol emissions that the satellite is able to detect. The app also contains a cross-reference to commonly-used “fire alerts,” which are additional satellite-based data of temperature anomalies. Users can combine data from these two sources to more reliably establish a fire’s origin point. 

“This new app is powerful because it combines the strengths of two key satellite-based data sources: emissions in the air and heat on the ground,” said Dr. Matt Finer, Senior Research Specialist at Amazon Conservation and lead author of the report. “Each data source alone provides basic information, but combined they provide actionable information for the government and firefighters to be able to address major fires.”

The new app has already identified the first major Amazon fire of 2020. In the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a fire burned 882 acres of an area that had been deforested in July 2019. 

This new finding supports Amazon Conservation’s research during the severe 2019 fire season, which revealed that the majority of fires in Brazil occurred on recently deforested land, not in standing forests. 

As recent deforestation continues to lead to severe fires and current analysis shows that the Amazon Rainforest is drier this year due to lower levels of rainfall, this app is an important step in predicting, finding, and containing large fires before they become unmanageable and escape into protected areas or indigenous reserves. 

Amazon Conservation has made this fire monitoring app easily available to anyone with an internet connection and will continue to monitor and report fire events as they happen in real-time across the Amazon through its Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP)

 

About Amazon Conservation

Amazon Conservation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that unites science, innovation, and community to protect the western Amazon – the greatest wild forest on Earth. Amazon Conservation has been pioneering conservation efforts in the tropics since 1999. Its unique approach focuses on three strategies: empowering people to become champions for conservation while improving their quality of life; protecting millions of acres of wild places home to hundreds of thousands of species of wildlife; and employing the latest discoveries in science and technology into the field of conservation. 

 

Sources

MAAP #118: Real-time Amazon Fire Monitoring App Full Report –
https://maaproject.org/2020/amazon-fire-app/ 

View Amazon Conservation’s Fire Monitoring App on Google Earth Engine –

https://bit.ly/ACA-fires-app

 

###

 

For more information contact:

Ana Folhadella, Communications Manager

Amazon Conservation 

Office: (202) 234-2356

Info@amazonconservation.org

www.amazonconservation.org 

 

Our Progress on the 2019 Amazon Fires

Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests
Volunteer holding 50 fire protection vests
Tools for the fire hose pump
Fire hose tools

As part of our current fire management efforts in Bolivia, we have been working with several organizations to generate reliable information to implement actions that are helping firefighters and inhabitants of affected areas. We have also been providing communities and governments with fire prevention training and supplies, so that local people can be better prepared and at the forefront of preventing and fighting forest fires.

Donations that we have received have been turning into immediate action during the heart of the fire season, enabling us to move quickly to support communities and governments in firefighting and prevention efforts.