916,800 hectares of protected bushland burned up in 2014
Bush fires have destroyed a large portion of vegetation in areas where the rain season should typically have begun at this time of year.
At least 916,800 hectares of land in federal conservation areas have been devastated by bush fires since the beginning of the year, reported the Department for Environmental Emergencies at the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. The most impacted biome was the Cerrado, a large savannah-like area in Central Brazil. The country has a total 320 federal protected areas covering 75,964,000 hectares.
According to the department, these are still preliminary data and will most likely increase with most of the country affected by a prolonged dry season, and more information to come in on the extent of damage caused by fire in national parks such as the Serra dos Órgãos, Rio de Janeiro, and Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais.
In 2013, fire devastated 612,000 hectares of federal conservation areas, 1,126,000 hectares in 2012, 630,000 hectares in 2011, and an even worse 1,694,000 hectares in 2010.
This year, bush fires have destroyed a large portion of vegetation in areas where the rain season should typically have begun at this time of year. The prolonged drought further reduces soil and air moisture, leading to even drier vegetation, higher temperatures, and increased fire hazard.
In the Serra do Cipó, the rain that began on Sunday evening (Oct. 19) was instrumental in helping firefighters and volunteers contain a fire that destroyed over 14,000 hectares of the national park and the surrounding environmental protection area (APA) in only 11 days.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: 916,800 hectares of protected bushland burned up in 2014
