The 2024 report from the Sistema de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais (SGIFR) presented by the Agência para a Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais (AGIF) was delivered to parliament and the government today.
“Despite the knowledge and readiness of material and human resources, significant losses were recorded in several communities, resulting in 16 fatalities, the destruction or damage of dozens of homes and industries, and over 135,000 hectares burned, with estimated losses of 67 million euros. Additionally, there was an emission of 0.69 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the highest since 2017,” the document highlights.
The 16 deaths recorded in 2024—nine operational staff, four victims due to burns and sudden illnesses, and three direct victims—marked the highest number since 2017 when 119 people died in the fires.
The report states that the total economic loss, covering materials (wood, resin, cork), biomass for energy, fruit, and stored carbon, reached approximately 67 million euros last year, affecting 2.36 million cubic meters of wood.
The AGIF reports that the greatest losses were in wood, resin, and cork (48.5 million euros), followed by stored carbon (15.8 million euros), biomass for energy (2.4 million euros), and fruit (357,000 euros).
The agency also notes that rural fires in 2024 resulted in the emission of 686,090 tons of carbon, the largest volume from 2018-2024, but still below (-11%) the average value for 2001-2017 of 717,557 tons.
There were 6,255 fire incidents last year, representing a 17% reduction compared to 2023, while the burned area was 137,667 hectares, four times more than the previous year.
The report indicates that 92% of the burned area in 2024 was recorded in September, highlighting “the need to reinforce mitigation strategies, especially in the face of extreme weather conditions evident in September, which promoted high severity.”
AGIF emphasizes that the total burned area of 137,651 hectares in 2024 exceeded by more than double the annual limit of 60,000 hectares envisaged in the PNGIFR (Plano Nacional de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais).
The report also notes that the concentration of burned area in September affected primarily the North and Center regions, with 71% and 75% of the burned area, respectively, occurring on days of severe weather, contrasting with the lower severity observed in other regions.
According to AGIF, these data underscore the need for differentiated regional strategies focused on prevention and rapid response in the most critical areas of the North and Center.
Contrary to the trend since 2018, arson stood out as the main cause of the burned area, with investigations concluding that deliberate fires accounted for 84% of the burned area, equivalent to 84,242 hectares.
In this regard, AGIF suggests measures for “behavior change” and “prioritizing prevention measures for alcoholism, addictions, and mental health in monitoring and overseeing repeat offenders, with visibility and deterrent capacity.”
“Socially, the proportion of damages caused by arson, responsible for 50% of the burned area in the North and 75% in the Center, once again demands public entities to focus on prevention and behavior surveillance measures, strengthening their deterrent capacity. On the other hand, the reduction in the number of incidents may be lowering the risk perception not only among populations but also among decision-makers, potentially compromising the priority given to rural fire prevention,” the report concludes.
