Forest fires advanced in different parts of western Pará and mobilized firefighting teams and residents in recent days. The flames reached vegetation areas, advanced over rural properties and came close to homes in municipalities such as Belterra and Juruti. In the region between Uruará and Placas, fire teams have been fighting fires for at least three days.
In Juruti, a large fire affects a forested area on the banks of the PA-192 highway, at km 47, close to the facilities of the mining company Alcoa. The fire started on Wednesday (7) and mobilized emergency teams. There is no record of injured people, according to the company.
Alcoa reported that it mobilized its emergency response structure to combat the flames, with direct action by teams, cooling of sensitive areas and aerial monitoring with drones. As a precaution, the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center (CRAS) was evacuated, and the animals were transferred to the Environmental Education Center (CEA).
Railway and communication activities, which were temporarily interrupted for safety reasons, have been reestablished, according to the company. Teams continue to monitor the remaining outbreaks.
In the BR-163 region, a pasture burning reportedly got out of control and affected vegetation areas and rural properties. According to residents, the fire started near km 140 and advanced during the night to km 145, near the São Mateus community.
In Belterra, a fire reached an extensive area of vegetation in the São Jorge community. The flames spread to different points and came close to houses. Residents organized themselves into a task force to try to contain the spread of the fire and protect their homes.
The suspicion reported by residents is that the fire started after burning garbage during the cleaning of a pasture area. The origin of the fire, however, needs to be confirmed.
Fire Department teams from different municipalities also work to fight fires in the region between Uruará and Placas. The work began after a call from the Civil Defense of Uruará and had already lasted three days, according to a report from a representative of the corporation.
According to the firefighter, teams from barracks in Altamira, Itaituba and Santarém participate in the actions. The work also counts on the support of landowners in rural areas, who can provide machines and teams to help contain the flames.
The territorial extension of the region is one of the challenges in fighting fires, which can affect different areas at the same time and require teams to move.
In Chapadão, amid the advance of the flames, firefighters faced difficulties in controlling the fire and preventing it from reaching other areas. Records taken during the fight show intense smoke, low visibility and the need to create barriers to contain the spread of the flames.
At one point, fighters used a controlled burning strategy to create an artificial barrier and prevent the fire from advancing into an area that needed to be protected. The team also sought to preserve a shack threatened by fire.
The smoke made work difficult and reduced the visibility of the team members themselves. During the fight, a firefighter warned of the risk of someone falling ill without being noticed by their colleagues, due to the difficulty of seeing and breathing in the smoke.
Sergeant Júlio César Galúcio, from the Santarém Fire Department, showed through social media the extent of the affected area and the effects of the fire on the forest.
According to him, the fire leaves an extensive strip of vegetation destroyed and can continue producing smoke for several days, even after the flames are controlled.
The firefighter also warned that fires started in small fires, such as those made to burn garbage or clear land, can spread with the action of the wind and affect larger areas of vegetation.
Data from the FIRMS system, from the American space agency NASA, also shows records of hot spots in different municipalities in the west and southwest of Pará.
Among the areas with records are municipalities crossed by the BR-163 and BR-230 highways, such as Rurópolis, Placas, Uruará, Itaituba and Novo Progresso. There are also outbreaks identified near the Tapajós National Forest, between Belterra and Aveiro, and in areas of Jacareacanga.
In the Calha Norte region, north of the Amazon River, monitoring shows records in Oriximiná, Óbidos, Alenquer and Monte Alegre.
Hot spots detected by satellites are indicators of possible fires and need to be analyzed together with other information to confirm the situation in each area.
Sergeant Galúcio highlighted that prevention is one of the main ways to reduce forest fires. According to him, the fire used to burn garbage or clean areas can get out of control, especially when it encounters dry leaves, grass and other conditions favorable to spread.
The firefighter also recalled the period of intense smoke recorded in the Santarém region in 2024 and warned of the environmental impacts and the impact on the population.
Even when the flames are brought under control, logs and other burning materials can continue to produce smoke for days. Therefore, the fight requires continuous monitoring and attention to outbreaks that may reignite.
With fires recorded simultaneously in different municipalities, teams remain mobilized to contain the flames and reduce damage to vegetation and inhabited areas.
