Forest fire distribution standard in the south of Amazonas state

Forest fires represent a major threat to the Amazon rain forest as their frequency and intensity have increased over the years. In addition to causing the death of trees and animals, causing the loss of its biodiversity, fires throw a dense cloud of pollutants into the atmosphere. Faced with this worrying reality, a research activity was undertaken covering the southern region of the state of Amazonas, comprising the cities of Apuí, Boca do Acre, Canutama, Humaitá, Lábrea, Manicoré and Novo Aripuanã, with the objective of analyzing the spatial–temporal occurrence of forest fire risks in the period between 2009 and 2019. The study area is part of the ‘Arc of deforestation’—a region recognized as a border between agricultural activities and the Amazon Forest and also, due to the intense use of fire in these activities. Due to the extension of the analysis area, satellite data was used as tools for the identification and mapping of areas subject to fires, allowing the identification of those that burn the most and when they occur. From the space–time analysis, it was found that among the analyzed municipalities, Lábrea leads the records of hotspots, followed by Apuí, Manicoré, Novo Aripuanã and Boca do Acre. The municipalities of Canutama and Humaitá are the ones with the lowest records. The years 2013, 2011 and 2009 (in ascending order) are the years with the fewest records of hotspots, while the years 2019, 2017, 2015, 2010, 2018 and 2016 (in descending order) are noteworthy for their records. of active hotspots above 10,000/year. Weather events such as El Niño act as a potentiator of fire risk, as they cause a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature. Even though there is no record of climatic phenomenon and with volumes of accumulated precipitation above 2300 mm/year, the last four years analyzed stand out for their increasing behavior in the number of hotspots. Thus, through the use of remote sensing techniques, geoprocessing and the use of surface data, a fire risk map was generated for the municipalities in the south of the state of Amazonas, indicating that the areas with the highest risk of burning are those at the along highways, settlement projects and their surroundings that encompass public and/or private lands.