Fire affects over 3,000 hectares of a park in Brazil

Brasil de Fato

A fire broke out in Brasília’s National Park, located in the country’s capital, Brasilia, at around 11:20 a.m. on Sunday (15). According to the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio, in Portuguese), the fire started near Granja do Torto, outside the National Park. The fire continued to rage on Monday (16) with four active outbreaks, having consumed 3,000 hectares of the environmental protection area and is already near the houses located around.   

In an immediate response, 20 firefighters from the Chico Mendes Institute, 40 soldiers from the Federal District Military Fire Brigade (CBMDF, in Portuguese), and five firefighters from the Brasília Environmental Institute (Ibram, in Portuguese) have been mobilized. However, no information is still available on the fauna affected.   

Due to the fire, the park will be closed to visitors while firefighting efforts are underway. The last major fire in Brasília National Park was in 2022. The fire consumed 7,700 hectares, equivalent to 20% of the area on that occasion. The flames came close to the Santa Maria reservoir, the second largest in the Federal District, which supplies the Pilot Plan [the central area of Brasília, known for its airplane-like layout and housing key government buildings].   

In the first week of September, a large fire also hit the Brasília National Forest (Flona). The total area burned was 2,586 hectares, equivalent to 45.85% of the federal conservation unit. ICMBio said this was the worst fire to hit the Flona in the last ten years.  

The flames started last Tuesday (3) when two fire outbreaks were identified in the environmental conservation area in the Taguatinga region. On Saturday (7), several actions were carried out to fight the fire in the National Forest. The fire is also suspected of being arson. A police investigation has been launched at the Federal Police Superintendence’s Environmental Crimes Police Station in the Federal District, as this is a federal conservation unit.   

A dense, dark column of smoke can be seen rising from the park, also known as Água Mineral. With 146 days without rain this year in the Federal District area, the hot, dry weather is making it difficult for the teams to work and facilitate the spread of the flames.