The 2019 Amazon fires were the fire season that caused intense international concern after extensive fires were reported in the Brazilian Amazon.
Reports and satellite observations showed a major rise in fire activity in Brazil during 2019, especially in the Amazon region. The fires were widely associated with land clearing, pasture expansion, drought conditions, and the use of fire to manage already cleared vegetation. The pattern drew global attention after smoke affected cities, including São Paulo, and governments and scientists debated the scale and causes.
A common mistake is to treat every Amazon fire as a naturally spreading forest fire. Many fires are deliberately set in areas being cleared, although they can escape into standing forest during dry conditions. Fire activity varies substantially from year to year, and satellite fire counts do not by themselves equal the number of hectares burned. The 2019 episode became a major international reference point in debates about Amazon conservation and deforestation.