Wildfires in old-growth Amazon forest areas rose 152% in 2023, study shows

Although the rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell in 2023, the region is faced with another challenge in the shape of fire affecting the native vegetation that has so far been spared destruction. An article published in the journal Global Change Biology warns that wildfires in old-growth forests rose 152% last year compared with 2022, despite a drop of 16% in the total number of fires throughout the Amazon and a 22% drop in deforestation.