Semas begins collective construction of the program for prevention and combat of wildfires
The initiative aligns the experiences of participants for the construction of the State Program for Prevention and Combat of Wildfires and Forest Fires (PEPIF)
The State Secretariat for Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas) initiated the Annual Operational Plan (POA) Workshop of the State Program for Prevention and Combat of Wildfires and Forest Fires (PEPIF) at the Semas Bosque Training Center in Belém. The aim of the action, which began on Monday (4) and continues until this Wednesday (6), is to align concepts, guidelines, and institutional responsibilities related to the prevention and combat of wildfires and forest fires in the State of Pará, as well as to collaboratively build the 2025 Operational Plan of PEPIF and the Guidelines of the Brigade Subprogram.
During the opening of the event on Monday, the Secretary of Environment, Climate and Sustainability, Raul Protázio Romão, emphasized that Pará is adopting a more robust stance, without changing the course of existing actions, but strengthening them. "Today, in this seminar, we are jointly building the operational plan of the State of Pará's Forest Fire Prevention and Combat Program. We want to understand the experiences of all collaborators to face the new climate challenges that have made our forests more vulnerable to fire," explained the secretary.
The PEPIF was established by decree in June 2025, at the request of Governor Helder Barbalho, with the aim of planning, monitoring, and executing government actions for the prevention and confrontation of forest fires. Among the important innovations is the creation of civil brigades to reinforce the work of the Fire Department, speeding up the response in the field.
Strengthened participatory actions
“This program symbolizes a step forward in the protection strategy that has been well conducted by the Fire Department of Pará, especially through Operation Félix. The year 2024 showed us how much our forests are more vulnerable to fire, so it is necessary to expand our actions. We are not changing direction, but strengthening the path we are already on, with the collaborative construction of actions,” Raul informed.
The program has the support of the government of Mato Grosso, which shares its experiences in combating and preventing forest fires for the collective construction of Pará's program.
“Mato Grosso has grown significantly with investments in air bases, methodologies, and geoprocessing. We have well-defined the four pillars for confronting fires: prevention, preparation, response, and accountability. Furthermore, the Fire Department acts as a supervisory body and combatant of environmental offenses related to the irregular use of fire. I believe that, with Mato Grosso's experience, along with Pará's will and experiences, we will all learn and share knowledge,” said Colonel Dércio Santos, executive secretary of the State Fire Management Committee in Mato Grosso.
Investment – A call for proposals has been launched with a list of equipment needed to equip about 200 firefighters, aiming to engage the private sector on the importance of supporting the fight against forest fires.
“It is expected that, with this workshop, we can align our response strategies during the dry season, seeking to understand what the government secretariats have been doing and planning for prevention and response during this phase. We will also present our planning. We intend to further align actions and check if we are on the right track, to leave a well-structured plan for the government and the population of the State of Pará,” emphasized Lieutenant Leonardo Santos, head of the Information and Disaster Monitoring Room of the Civil Defense.
On Monday, the activity had the support and participation of the Military Fire Department of Pará (CBMPA), the State Secretariat for Indigenous Peoples of Pará (SEPI), the State Secretariat for Family Agriculture (SEAF), the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Civil Defense, IDEFLOR-Bio, Prevfogo/IBAMA, and Emboé Consulting.
“With great expectations, Ibama, through Prevfogo, participated in the integrated workshop for the construction of the Annual Operational Plan, a milestone in building collective solutions and strengthening the environmental governance of the State. This is essential to strengthen dialogue between institutions, align guidelines, and collaboratively build actions. We hope to contribute with our technical experience and institutional commitment to promote environmental protection in an integrated, efficient manner aligned with regional challenges and priorities. Together, we can advance in implementing more effective and sustainable public policies,” said Viviane Amaral, supervisor of Prevfogo/IBAMA.
Monitoring and environmental protection
Secretary Raul also highlighted that, through the Integrated Environmental Monitoring Center (Cimam) of Semas, deforestation data from the last two years are collected and aligned in maps, crossed with information from the large forest masses of the State, indigenous lands, conservation units, extractive reserves, and integral protection areas. The work is based on the logic of cross-prediction with the heritage that the State wishes to preserve, configuring a prevention program in forest sites.
In June 2025, Pará achieved the lowest recorded value of area covered by deforestation alerts since the beginning of the historical series in 2019, considering exclusively the month of June, according to data from the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (DETER) of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). In June 2025, 111 km² of area covered by alerts were detected, representing a 41% reduction compared to the same period in 2024, when 187 km² were recorded — the absolute decrease was 76 km².
“The center of this evolution was the work of Operation Curupira, a multi-agency operation supported by the Fire Department, Civil Police, Scientific Police, Semas, Military Police, among other bodies. We want that, in fire management, in four years, we can celebrate positive results like those of Operation Curupira, hitting historical lows of deforestation in Pará. I thank everyone who is by our side contributing to the preservation of the state,” Raul concluded.
Text by Vinicius Silva / Ascom Semas
