The deforestation monitoring group MapBiomas reported that 3.1 million hectares of the Brazilian Amazon burned in 2025. This figure represents the smallest area burned in the region since the group began recording data in 1985. The 2025 data follows a year of record-high fire activity in 2024, when 15.8 million hectares were affected.
Across all of Brazil, the total area burned in 2025 was 12.7 million hectares, a decrease from 30 million hectares the previous year. Researcher Vera Arruda of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) noted that while the figures are significant, they do not yet indicate an established long-term trend. The decline has been attributed in part to the transition from the El Niño weather pattern to cooler La Niña conditions.
The reduction in burned land occurs during the third year of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term. Lula campaigned on a pledge to reach zero deforestation in the Amazon, contrasting his policies with those of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who advocated for increased mining and farming in the region. Despite the drop in fires, Lula has faced criticism from environmental activists for approving oil exploration projects near the mouth of the Amazon River.