The Year 2017: Megafires and Management in the Cerrado

In 2017, the Cerrado region of Brazil experienced severe megafires, with 78% of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park and 85% of Reserva Natural Serra do Tombador burned due to long-standing 'zero-fire' policies. Contrastingly, protected areas implementing Integrate Fire Management (IFM) since 2014 avoided such catastrophic fires, suggesting IFM effectively mitigates wildfire risks. The study compared burned areas and fire scars between sites with IFM and those without, revealing that fire exclusion policies lead to fuel accumulation and increased megafire susceptibility. Findings advocate for re-evaluating fire management strategies in Cerrado protected areas to balance wildfire prevention and biodiversity conservation, particularly where savanna physiognomies dominate.

Fidelis, A., Alvarado, S. T., Barradas, A. C. S., & Pivello, V. R. (2018). The Year 2017: Megafires and Management in the Cerrado. Fire, 1(3), 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire1030049