Pará leads fires in Brazil, says Inpe

Pará leads the national ranking of hot spots, with 1,369 occurrences between November 8th and 9th, according to monitoring by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe). In October, the state surpassed the mark of 11,700 outbreaks, the worst result for the month in the last 29 years.

Between 2020 and 2025, the territory of Pará accumulated 30,605 fires, recording the highest average in the country, followed by Mato Grosso (29,098) and Amazonas (16,660). In 2026, Pará remains in the national leadership of the indicator, with 28,518 records.

A study carried out by a data intelligence company, based on the Government Capabilities Index (ICG), mapped how Belém is structured to respond to climate disasters, considering different dimensions of government capacity, including environmental management and climate resilience, Civil Defense, technology, human capital and fiscal conditions.

The survey, the result of an agreement between the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR), the Amazon Development Superintendency (Sudam) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), reveals that the resilience of cities depends on institutional factors that take years to be consolidated.

Climate resilience is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to and recover from weather events and changes in climate, such as floods, droughts and heat waves, while maintaining essential functions.

The Codex study points out that Belém began preparing for climate issues "late". On Tuesday (11), the city dawned covered in dense smoke, and residents reported a strong smell.

In 2020, it did not have structured climate guidelines. The scenario changed with COP30, the UN climate conference held in the city in 2025.

According to the survey, the event led to the creation of the Local Climate Action Plan in April 2025, establishing the goal of emissions neutrality by 2050. The capital allocates 22.17% of the budget to investments in the climate area.

In response to the spread of forest fires, the government of Pará declared a state of climate and environmental alert and launched Operation Fênix 2026. The initiative mobilizes more than 500 public agents, including police officers, firefighters and environmental technicians.

The main fronts of action in the state are concentrated in two critical regions:

Marajó Archipelago: Specialized teams from the Fire Department and State Civil Defense were sent to reinforce firefighting in the municipality of Anajás. Logistical support includes aircraft from the Public Security Air Group (Graesp).

Lower Amazonas: In Santarém and the tourist district of Alter do Chão, outbreak control actions have the support of local fire brigades and federal agencies. The structure in the region was reinforced with the sending of 14 vehicles adapted to difficult-to-access areas and an extra helicopter sent by the Secretariat of Public Security and Social Defense (Segup).

The Pará government also formalized a request for help from the federal government to send aircraft, specialized in fighting forest fires, and seeks cooperation with corporations from other states in the Legal Amazon.

To try to contain the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon in the Amazon, the Federal Government structured a task force that involves 13 ministries and different authorities. According to the government, the integrated actions resulted in the extinction of 184 forest fires in Pará territory, 102 of which were fought by Ibama and 82 by ICMBio in federal Conservation Units.

The federal structure in the field has: 522 brigade members and inspectors working directly in the affected areas; 13 aircraft and 41 support vehicles; 3,828 rural properties notified by notice in 30 municipalities in the southwest of the state; Dispatch of the National Force to conflict areas and settlements in Altamira and Pacajá.

Until this Wednesday (11), 16 municipalities in Pará had a state of emergency approved by the National Civil Defense, guaranteeing the initial release of R$ 3.62 million for humanitarian assistance in cities such as Pacajá, Rio Maria, Jacareacanga, Portel and Rurópolis.

A Provisional Measure opened an extraordinary credit of R$300 million for civil protection actions across the country.

In the area of ​​health, the Ministry of Health confirmed the installation of a regional base of the SUS National Force (FN-SUS) in Belém, in addition to monitoring air quality in the cities of Santarém and Belém through the VigiAr Panel.

Planning for the Northern Region also includes the delivery of 273 resilient Basic Health Units (UBS) through the New PAC and the distribution of 587 solutions for access to drinking water for indigenous communities affected by extreme drought.