May hits records of fires in the Amazon and Cerrado

The Amazon and Cerrado have registered records of forest fires in May.

In the case of the Brazilian Amazon, there were 2,287 outbreaks of forest fires. It is the highest number for the month in 18 years (since 2004), according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). The previous record for the month of May was 2004: 3,131 fire outbreaks.

The number of heat sources that Inpe’s satellites detected in May was also 96% higher than in the same month last year when they totalled 1,166.

The month of May marks the beginning of the dry season in the Amazon, when fires intensify. The outbreaks recorded in the month are equivalent to 45% of all fires from January to April.

It is also the dry season and fire season in the Cerrado. There were 3,578 hotspots in May, the highest number ever recorded by Inpe in the month. The historical series began in 1998.

The number represents an increase of 35% compared to May 2021, when 2,649 hotspots were registered. This data was already well above the average of 1,711 outbreaks for the month.