The Amazon rainforest experienced a substantial decrease in burned area during 2025, reaching its lowest point since records began in 1985, according to data from MapBiomas. This significant decline marks a positive shift following a devastating 2024, which saw the worst forest fires in over two decades, attributed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service to a combination of climate extremes and human activity.
In 2025, Brazil's Amazon saw approximately 12.7 million hectares burned, a sharp reduction from the 30 million hectares impacted in 2024. Across Brazil as a whole, the total area burned also dropped dramatically, from 30 million hectares in 2024 to 12.7 million hectares in 2025. The highest recorded figure for hectares burned in Brazil was in 2007, with 30.7 million hectares.
Vera Arruda, a researcher at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and coordinator at MapBiomas, noted that the 31% drop in burned area compared to the historical average was driven primarily by the lowest number of fires recorded in the Amazon in 41 years. While this reduction is positive, Arruda cautioned that it is too early to declare an established trend or to scale back prevention efforts.
The easing of the unprecedented fires seen in 2024 is partly attributed to cooler La Niña conditions prevailing in 2025, in contrast to the warmer El Niño experienced previously. However, MapBiomas has warned that the natural weather pattern of El Niño, which can elevate global temperatures, could potentially extend the current dry season and increase the risk of forest fires.