Canada is on fire. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc., there are 650 active forest fires in early July, with over half of them being out of control. These fires started in May and continue to increase. Maps and data are being updated by the Centre Interservices des Feux de Forêt du Canada. Around a thousand firefighters from Mexico, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Costa Rica, Chile, South Korea, and South Africa are in Canada to assist. Despite these efforts, Canada has lost more forests in two months than the entire Amazon biome has in ten years. The media should give this forest destruction in Canada a level of attention that is proportionate to the attention always given to the Amazon, instead of disappearing in inexplicable silence like smoke.
Over 3,400 wildfires have already occurred. No province has been spared, not even Nova Scotia and Quebec, which are usually less affected. Alberta is experiencing the worst situation, with over 1.5 million hectares destroyed. The fires have already devastated 9 million hectares of forests in Canada. This area is equivalent to burning down the entire Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo states combined or Denmark and Estonia. It is more than 1% of Brazil, almost the size of Portugal. The total deforestation in the Amazon over ten years (8.2 million hectares) is lower than what has been destroyed by the Canadian wildfires in just two months.
The fire is growing and will continue to spread like the mounted police. It is causing immense damage to public and private property, biodiversity, and the environment. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes. There has been a record increase in air pollution. In June, Montreal, Toronto, and New York found themselves in the unfortunate position of being the most polluted cities on the planet, with the worst air quality according to the international indicator IQAir. Similar situations have been observed in Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Smog alerts have been issued in over a dozen states in the United States, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. A yellowish haze makes the atmosphere opaque, and the urban boundaries blend with the incandescent backdrop of the sun. Eyes sting, throats become irritated, and breathing becomes difficult. Over 100 million people have been affected in the United States.
In response to the situation, NASA has organized the Fire Information for Resource Management System US/Canada to monitor the affected regions. This unprecedented system operates in ultra real-time and generates more than one orbital image per minute. In 2022, out of the 50 most polluted cities, 39 were in India, four in Pakistan, and two in China, with none in Brazil. The most polluted cities were Lahore in Pakistan and Hotan in China. However, in 2023, the situation will be different. The Canadian wildfire disaster continues under media and political silence. It is far from being resolved.
No European president or prime minister has accused the Canadian government of incompetence in protecting its forests, which are a heritage of humanity and not just Canada’s. Nor have they suggested internationalizing Canadian forests. There have been no vehement statements from the French president or famous artists. No photos of burned reindeer or wolverines. There have been no campaigns by NGOs and international organizations to boycott Canadian products. Neither in the Tower of London nor the Eiffel Tower. World leaders have said little and offered criticism. Silence and compassion. If it were to happen here…
According to the European Copernicus Observatory, forest fires in Canada have already released over 200 megatons of carbon into the atmosphere. These are the highest estimated annual emissions for Canada by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. The smoke from the Canadian fires reached Western Europe in June, affecting England, Norway, Spain, Portugal, France (including the Côte d’Azur), Germany, and is advancing eastward. Despite the grayish hues in the European sky, this pollution will have little impact on air quality as it circulates at altitudes of kilometers above the ground. The ashes, along with nanoplastics, will gradually settle on the ground with rainfall.
In 2022, Europe experienced a record number of areas burned by forest fires, double the average between 2006 and 2021. France, according to the Système Européen d’Information sur les Feux de Forêt, broke records of the past 15 years. For 2023, Europe has doubled its aerial firefighting capacity and, given the current drought, anticipates the possibility of even more fires compared to last year, according to the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Slovenian Janez Lenarcic, who is already busy with the conflict in Ukraine. This is the current state of forest management in developed countries of the Northern Hemisphere.
A queimada, or slash-and-burn, is an agricultural technique dating back to the Neolithic period. However, it is expected to disappear from modern agriculture, being replaced by more advanced technologies. Small-scale farmers may resort to burning crop residues when they lack machinery to shred and incorporate them into the soil. Nevertheless, there is a growing recognition of the negative environmental impact of burning, such as air pollution and soil degradation. Efforts are being made to promote sustainable farming practices that prioritize the use of machinery and modern techniques for residue management and soil conservation.
The Mediterranean climate in countries such as Spain, Greece, Italy, France, and the United States favors forest fires during the spring and summer seasons. The same applies to subpolar regions, such as the tundra and coniferous vegetation in Alaska, Canada, and Russia. In tropical regions, on the other hand, fires predominantly occur during the dry season, which is typically in the autumn and winter. These are known as “queimadas” (controlled burns) rather than wildfires, and they occur in the Southern Hemisphere, including South America, Africa, and Brazil. The bonfires during the June festivities mark the beginning of the “queimadas” season.
Indeed, there is a common confusion between “queimadas” (controlled burns) and wildfires. “Queimadas” are a widespread phenomenon in tropical agriculture. In Brazil, over 98% of the “queimadas” are of an agricultural nature. The farmers themselves decide when and where to burn. It is a controlled practice, desired, and integrated into their production system. It has specific objectives and expected outcomes. Precautions are taken, such as creating firebreaks and avoiding windy conditions. The success of “queimadas” depends greatly on meteorological factors.
In Brazil, “queimadas” are associated with more traditional production systems, reminiscent of the Neolithic era, particularly in the Indigenous Park of Tumucumaque, located between the states of Pará and Amapá. In these cerrado regions, some of the largest “queimadas” in the country occur, covering areas of tens of square kilometers, as indicated by studies conducted by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation). The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) produces a daily bulletin on fire occurrences in Indigenous lands.
“Queimadas” are also employed in extensive cattle ranching to renew and improve pastures. For example, “sapecada” is used in high-altitude fields in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Additionally, controlled burns are used to stimulate early grass regrowth for grazing cattle in the Southeast and Midwest regions, particularly in grazed cerrado areas or cultivated pastures. Fire is used to reduce tick infestations, control venomous animals, combat pests, and manage unwanted plants. In these cases, “queimadas” or controlled burns serve a similar purpose to snow in temperate agriculture.
“Queimadas” (controlled burns) are indeed an agricultural technique that originated in the Neolithic era. However, they are expected to disappear from modern agriculture, being replaced by more advanced technologies. Small-scale farmers often resort to burning crop residues because they lack machinery to shred and incorporate them into the soil. Newly cleared areas and cleaning remnants from fallow lands are also burned in some cases.
In contrast, intensified and modern agricultural practices in crops such as soybeans, corn, sugarcane, cotton, fruit production, and coffee have long eliminated the need for “queimadas.” Fire has been replaced by machinery and sustainable waste management systems. The confusion between “queimadas” and wildfires arises from a lack of understanding about the nature of controlled burns, leading to them being mistakenly equated with uncontrolled fires.
Forest fires are accidental, unwanted, and challenging to control. Just look at Canada. They occur in forested vegetation that is conducive to burning due to the combustibility of the trees. These types of vegetation are primarily found in the South and Southeast regions. Degraded forests, areas interspersed with shrubs and grasses, Araucaria forests, and deciduous Atlantic Forests on plateaus, as well as pine and eucalyptus plantations, are particularly prone to fires.
In the moist tropical forest, it is difficult for a fire to occur in primary vegetation and for it to spread. The same applies to the caatinga. During the dry season, the loss of leaves reduces the combustible material, and the woody parts have low combustibility. The plants remain green, with water in their tissues. The sertanejo (inhabitant of the Brazilian semi-arid region) says that the dry caatinga doesn’t catch fire, referring to the resilience of the dry environment and the lack of suitable combustible material to initiate and sustain a fire.
It’s important to note that forest fires can occur in different regions and vegetation types, but climatic conditions, the availability of combustible material, and other factors play a crucial role in the spread and severity of these fires.
In the Amazon, even after deforestation, farmers must wait for the slow dehydration of the woody material. It is not possible to burn it immediately. Research conducted in Machadinho d’Oeste (RO) indicates that, on average, it takes eight years of controlled burns, using piles and stacks, to consume the woody debris resulting from deforestation on small properties. The climate can either hinder or contribute to the burning process, acting as either a “firefighter” or an “arsonist.”
Currently, there is a yellow alert for a potential increase in wildfires in Brazil. There are indications of the occurrence of the climatic phenomenon El Niño. The temperature of the subequatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean has risen. In simplified terms, this is due to the intensification of westward winds. These winds push warm, lighter waters from northern Australia and Indonesia towards South America. The accumulation of warm waters off the coast of Peru reduces the populations of fish associated with cold, oxygen-rich waters coming from Antarctica. Fishing yields decrease significantly. The El Niño phenomenon has been known for centuries. Its effects are most strongly felt in November and December, during the Advent season and in preparation for the birth of Baby Jesus. That is why the phenomenon is named “El Niño,” which means “the Baby Jesus” in Spanish.
Alarmists are predicting a “strong El Niño” in 2023, but all climate models have not confirmed it yet. So far, the El Niño is primarily an oceanic phenomenon. A strong connection with the atmosphere is needed for it to fully develop within the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. If it does occur, it could lead to increased temperatures in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, along with reduced rainfall, which can have negative impacts on agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, and navigation. Additionally, it could potentially harm coffee crops in northern Espírito Santo and Rondônia, as well as grain and cotton production in the Matopiba region.
In general, El Niño periods are beneficial for Brazilian agriculture. In the South, Southeast, and Central-West regions, El Niño brings increased rainfall, reduces dry spells, and enhances grain production, pastures, fruit cultivation, and coffee crops. It also benefits irrigation in the Northeast. However, the effects of El Niño do not always align with the interests or abilities of governments.
It is indeed the responsibility of authorities to take measures and assist small-scale farmers in the North and Northeast regions. These farmers will be the most affected by the potential increase in wildfires and represent over 50% of the farmers in Brazil. Additionally, efforts should be made to modernize family farming practices in order to reduce the occurrence of controlled burns. The El Niño phenomenon may favor an increase in wildfires and the risk of fires in the North and Northeast, similar to the fires in Roraima between 1997 and 1998. June has already seen the highest number of wildfires in the Amazon in 16 years. The question remains, what will July bring? It is not productive to blame anyone, much less to attribute responsibility to Saint Peter (the patron saint of rain). Nor is it beneficial to hide the facts.
El Niño is unpredictable. It disregards enforcement, fines, accusations, and narratives. The new authorities responsible for environmental policies in Brazil have a duty to take action. However, it is not productive to hope for a media blackout, political silence, or the absence of attention from NGOs, similar to what has been observed regarding Canada?
