The Cerrado biome is of extreme ecological and economic importance, playing a crucial role in water regulation (Sawyer et al. 2017), feeding the country’s main river basins, and is the tropical savanna with the highest biodiversity in the world (Myers et al. 2000, Klink et al. 2005). The Cerrado has evolved in coexistence with fire, which naturally occurs largely during the transition period between the rainy and dry seasons due to lightning strikes (Simon et al., 2009; Pivello et al., 2021). However, human activity has modified this natural fire regime, resulting in in creasingly frequent and intense fires, especially during critical dry periods (Bowman et al., 2011).
In this technical note, we present a detailed analysis of the burned area in the Cerrado for the period from January to September 2024, which stands out as the most critical in terms of fire incidence in the biome in the last five years. Our objective was to identify and compare the areas affected by fire in relation to previous years, the types of land use and cover most affected, and the stratification by the main land tenure categories. By in
dicating the most vulnerable locations, we hope to contribute to the development of more effective fire prevention and combat policies, ensuring the conservation of the Cerrado and the protection of its natural
and social resources.
