Wildfires in Brazil last year consumed a total area larger than all of Italy, a monitor reported Wednesday, as the country continues to battle blazes often set by farmers and ranchers illegally expanding their territory.
Some 30.8 million hectares (119,000 square miles) of vegetation were burned in Brazil in 2024, a 79% increase from 2023.
Fires in the Amazon, a crucial carbon sink for the rest of the world as well as a global hotspot of biodiversity, accounted for 58% of the damage.