Water and Fire in the Pantanal Wetland

During the dry season (between August and December) frequent fires occur in the Pantanal wetland, and the Ecotropioca staff and colleagues from neighbouring protected areas fight for the preservation of the unique nature and against the fire. Hardly the first fires are put out, other places are hit by fire.

Since November 2010, the Ecotropica staff has been involved in fire fighting for weeks. According to recent estimates, at the beginning of December, the fires have burned an area of more than 20.000 hectares, despite indefatigable efforts. However, the fire brigade in Penha,  one of the Ecotropica reserves, located south of Acurizal, succeeded in stopping the fire from spreading to the mountainous regions.

But in the national park, on the right bank of the Cuiabá river, and in the 30,000 hectares large Ecotropica nature reserve Doroche, north east of the nature park border, further fires occurred in the hard-to-reach area, difficult to extinguish by the 30-man fire crew. The difficult access and the lack of paths made the work of the fire crew very difficult.

Now the Ecotropica staff is waiting for the begin of the rainy season, as rainfalls are the best “accomplices” in the battle against the fires and will ease the situation considerably.