Intense wildfires burned through a record-breaking 97% of the Serra das Araras conservation area in Brazil’s megadiverse Cerrado savanna earlier this year, the national parks agency, ICMBio, told Mongabay. Fire overwhelmed nearly all of the 28,700-hectare (71,000-acre) reserve, an area twice the size of San Francisco. It serves as a refuge to hundreds of species, including jaguars (Panthera onca), maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and the endangered white-cheeked spider monkey (Ateles marginatus). Satellite images and data from Global Forest Watch show fires spreading into Serra das Araras in late August 2024 from land burned close to its borders. Fire in the region is often used illegally to clear land for pastures and farms. In September, the flames spread to the rest of the park. Global Forest Watch alerts also detected deforestation of primary forest, with new roads constructed in the direction of the park. “No one knows exactly who owns the land where the fires originated from. But with this year’s extreme climate conditions, even a small ignition can impact a huge area,” Marcelo Feitosa, the Serra das Araras head of conservation for the past 12 years, said in a video interview, adding that extreme fire events are becoming more frequent and more intense. The Cerrado is facing its worst drought in more than 700 years, a recent study found, with record-high temperatures and minimal rainfall worsening the region’s fire risk. Serra das Araras’ 2024 wildfires surpassed its previous fire record in 2020, when 84% of the park burned. “In the…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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