South America has set a new record for fire outbreaks, reporting over 346,000 hot spots in 2024, surpassing the previous record of 345,322 in 2007. The fires, particularly severe in Brazil’s Amazon and Bolivia, have been exacerbated by extreme weather conditions, with high temperatures persisting despite it being winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to combat the blazes, yet the combination of human activity and climate change continues to drive their spread. Public protests in Bolivia have called for urgent action, highlighting the devastating environmental impact and health risks associated with the rampant wildfires, which have significantly degraded air quality across the region.
