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Bolivia forest fires in 2919. Flickr Commons License. Photo by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid.
23 Oct 2024

10 million hectares of forested land burned in Bolivia in 2024 so far

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Wildfires in Bolivia have ravaged over 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) this year, primarily in the tropical eastern regions, marking the country's worst fire season on record. The devastation has scorched an area comparable in size to Iceland or Cuba.

According to new data released by the Tierra Foundation, the burned area is equivalent to nearly 19 million American football fields. The recent surge in fires has surpassed Bolivia’s previous disastrous fire seasons in 2010 and 2019.

As of the latest government data available through September, 4.6 million hectares of forest and 2.3 million hectares of grasslands had been consumed by wildfires. September was the most devastating month of the year, contributing significantly to these figures.

"What's happened in recent months in eastern Bolivia, and will continue to occur at least through October, is a disaster of a magnitude unprecedented in the country," Juan Pablo Chumacero, researcher at the Tierra Foundation, told reporters.

 

Illustration Credit: 
Cover Photo above: Bolivia forest fires in 2919. Flickr Commons License. Photo by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid.