Pará registers a 74% decrease in fire hotspots in July 2025
The result reflects integrated prevention and combat actions, combined with favorable climatic conditions
July 2025 marked an important achievement in the fight against wildfires in Pará. Data from the Hydrometeorological Monitoring Center (NMH) of the State Secretariat for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability (Semas) indicate a 74.3% reduction in the number of heat hotspots compared to the same month in 2024, according to satellite data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
In July of last year, the state faced a challenging scenario within the context of confronting global climate phenomena. The period was marked by extreme climatic events, such as El Niño and the Atlantic Dipole, which caused severe drought and favored wildfires.
In 2025, the month of July recorded only 837 heat hotspots - compared to the 3,265 hotspots recorded in 2024, a direct reflection of the strengthening of public policies for environmental prevention and control in the state, in addition to the favorable situation regarding rainfall and the normality of climatic and oceanic variables.
“These significant numbers reflect the firm commitment of the government of Pará to the preservation of the Amazon and the quality of life of our population. By ensuring the protection of the living forest through effective combat against wildfires, we are preserving our natural resources and promoting sustainable development. We continue to implement ongoing and integrated actions that position Pará as a national and international reference in confronting climate change and environmental conservation,” emphasized the State Governor, Helder Barbalho.
Integrated strategy and structuring actions - these results reflect a continuous strategy of command and control, valuing the living forest and strengthening inspection actions.
As a structuring measure, the State Program for the Prevention and Combat of Forest Fires (PEPIF), Pará Sem Fogo, was launched this year by the secretariat in partnership with the Military Fire Brigade, based on four pillars: real-time monitoring, science-based prevention, coordinated rapid response, and training of local brigades.
The State has already mapped 22 zones with medium to high fire risk and maintains a climate and wildfire monitoring center that uses satellite images, meteorological data, and thermal sensors to monitor both deforestation and heat hotspots in real-time.
Additionally, the program will create an Integrated Multi-Agency Center for Combating Forest Fires, which brings together actions from the secretariat integrated with the Military Fire Brigade of the State of Pará, the State Secretariat for Agricultural Development and Fisheries (Sedap), the State Secretariat for Indigenous Peoples of Pará (Sepi), and the Institute for Forest Development and Biodiversity of Pará (Ideflor-Bio), to operate in a single command center.
Another important advancement was the participatory construction workshop of the PEPIF, held this month, conducted by Semas with technical support and involvement from various sectors of civil society, researchers, and public institutions, seeking to consolidate long-term guidelines to face the use of fire in an orderly manner, considering the territorial reality of the state.
“The significant reduction in fire hotspots in July is a direct reflection of the collective effort that Pará has been making to protect its territories. We are strengthening inspection, investing in technology, and expanding dialogue with municipalities and communities. This result shows that it is possible to combine development with environmental preservation and continue to evolve the State's strategy to face new climate challenges,” stated Raul Protazio Romão, State Secretary for the Environment, Climate and Sustainability.
*Municipalities with the largest reductions in the analyzed period* - the municipality of Itaituba, which led the ranking in 2024 with 719 hotspots, reduced this number to only 83 in 2025 — a decrease of 88.4%. Altamira showed a reduction of 66.3%, going from 169 to 57 hotspots. São Félix do Xingu recorded a decrease of 74.7%, with a reduction from 162 to 41 hotspots. Meanwhile, Novo Progresso and Jacareacanga, which were among the five municipalities with the most wildfires in 2024, do not appear among the highest records in 2025, indicating a decrease so significant that they were removed from the top of the state ranking.
