Wildfires in Pantanal drop in early 2025
The Pantanal and Cerrado regions in Mato Grosso do Sul recorded a significant decrease in wildfire activity during the first half of 2025.
According to data from the Mato Grosso do Sul Weather and Climate Monitoring Center (Cemtec), the burned area in the Pantanal dropped by 92.8 percent compared to the same period last year.
Between January and June, wildfires affected 42,840 hectares, compared to 595,728 hectares in 2024. The number of fire outbreaks also dropped drastically from 2,753 to just 50, a 98.2 percent decrease.
In the Cerrado biome, the burned area went from 56,952 to 27,734 hectares, a reduction of 51.3 percent. Fire outbreaks in the region fell from 936 to 493, a 47.3 percent drop.
The Cemtec report also shows a decline in fires inside protected areas. In conservation units, the burned area was reduced by 89.6 percent.
Despite the lower numbers, military firefighters have been working since the beginning of the year on preventive actions. In 2025, they responded to 1,038 fire-related incidents. During the same period in 2024, there were 2,532 incidents.
Fire is part of the natural cycle of the Pantanal, which alternates between dry and wet seasons. However, climate change and human activity have increased the frequency and severity of wildfires in recent years.
Fires in 2024
Last year, the government of Mato Grosso do Sul declared a state of emergency due to fires in the Pantanal. The damage in 2024 surpassed the levels recorded in 2020, which had previously been considered the most destructive fire season in the biome.
Experts in the biome and in meteorology warn that the increase in extreme climate events, along with the effects of El Niño, raise concerns about a more intense dry season and the risk of more fires in the Pantanal.