Record 2024 Amazon fires released 791 million tons of CO2: Study

The Amazon rainforest experienced its most severe fire season in over 20 years in 2024, burning 3.3 million hectares—an area nearly the size of Belgium—and releasing approximately 791 million tons of carbon dioxide. This emission volume is comparable to Germany’s total annual emissions and is seven times higher than the average emissions from the previous two years. Notably, for the first time between 2022 and 2024, fire-induced forest degradation surpassed deforestation as the leading cause of carbon emissions in the region. The fires were widespread, with Brazil recording its highest emissions from forest degradation ever, and Bolivia losing over 9% of its intact forest to fires. The study attributes the surge in fires to a combination of extreme drought conditions intensified by climate change, forest fragmentation, and land-use mismanagement, including both accidental and deliberate fires set by land grabbers. Researchers used advanced satellite monitoring and rigorous data filtering to accurately detect fire-driven degradation, which often goes unnoticed in national and international accounting