Brazilian farmers are not just on the frontlines of securing the global food system – they are often called on to protect their farms and wildlife by working together with the country’s fire department.
Climate change is causing rising temperatures and droughts, putting Brazilian farms and natural resources at risk of increased fires. The World Bank estimated that 2024 wildfires cost Brazil’s economy $35.9 billion in damage, or 1.5% of the country’s GDP, including a $17.1 billion impact to the ag sector, per a 2024 report.
Brazil experienced 53,918 visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) fire alerts between Feb. 24, 2025, and Feb. 23, 2026, considered a low amount of alerts compared to previous years, according to data accessed on Feb. 24 from the Global Forest Watch. Brazil’s fire season tends to start in August, coinciding with the dry season and the safrinha harvest.
Over the years, Brazil made strides in fire management, thanks to government programmes and the help of farmers and indigenous people, Fire Chief Flávio Glêdson Vieira Bezerra shared during a presentation on Feb. 7 in the Pantanal region of Brazil, as part of a press tour hosted by Aprosoja (the Brazilian Association of Soybean Producers).
The Brazilian fire authority is leaning into the future of fire management, exploring the use of drones for fire extinguishing and AI-powered real-time monitoring capabilities coupled with IoT sensors on farms and machinery, to respond to fires more quickly, Glêdson Vieira Bezerra explained.
How farmers respond to the fire threat
Farmers are often first responders during a fire, and their quick action has helped improve the fire department’s response time, with 64% of fire reports being resolved in 24 hours, Glêdson Vieira Bezerra said.
Brazilian farmers face strict criminal liability for fires that lead to deforestation and environmental damage, per the country’s 1965 Forest Code. In 2024, the Brazilian courts ruled that a rancher who set fire to a portion of the Amazon rainforest must pay $50 million to restore the land and pay for damages to the environment.
Fires not only destroy farmland, but they also burn organic material in the soil, which can take up to five years to replenish, Lucas Costa Beber, farmer and president of Aprosoja-MT, explained during the presentation. This means that yields will diminish until soil health can be restored, he added.
Farmers minimize fire risk by shifting harvesting schedules to reduce exposure to high winds, dry weather, and high temperatures that can start fires, Costa Beber explained. For instance, Costa Beber harvests his corn from 4:00 PM to 4:00 AM to reduce the risk of starting a fire.
Additionally, growers keep a water tank near their combine to ensure that they can quickly put out fires sparked by machinery issues or hot weather, he added.
