In 2024, the Amazon rainforest suffered its worst wildfires in more than two decades, which the Copernicus Climate Change Service attributed to “extreme weather and human activity.”

“The figures for 2025 are significant and show that it is possible to reduce the area burned in the country,” Vera Arruda, researcher at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and coordinator of MapBiomas, told the BBC.

“The 31% drop compared to the historical average, driven mainly by the lowest number of fires recorded in the Amazon in 41 years, is positive news, but it still does not allow us to conclude that it is an established trend or reduce prevention efforts,” added Arruda.

The MapBiomas report shows a dramatic drop in the area burned not only in the Amazon, but throughout Brazil by 2025.

The figures show around 12.7 million hectares burned in Brazil in 2025, compared to 30 million hectares in 2024.

The highest number of hectares burned in Brazil since records began was in 2007, when 30.7 million hectares were recorded throughout the country.

The decline in 2025 numbers partly reflects a decline in record-breaking 2024 fires, helped by cooler La Niña conditions rather than warmer El Niño conditions.

But MapBiomas warned that the natural El Niño weather pattern, which raises global temperatures, could extend this year’s dry season and increase the risk of wildfires.