Wildfires affected Bolivia in 2024, consuming more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres), primarily in the country’s tropical east. This exceptional fire season has broken new records, outperforming Bolivia’s Wildfires in 2010 and 2019. The area burnt is comparable to the size of Iceland or Cuba, and the devastation is widespread.

According to Tierra Foundation estimates, the fires have devoured an area of approximately 19 million American football fields. Santa Cruz, a fertile farming region in eastern Bolivia near the Brazilian border, has lost roughly 7 million hectares of land. The neighbouring department of Beni is following, with 3 million hectares scorched.

Impact on Lives and the Environment

Juan Pablo Chumacero, a Tierra Foundation researcher, emphasised the gravity of the calamity, noting that the situation will most likely last until October. “What’s happened in recent months in eastern Bolivia is a disaster of a magnitude unprecedented in the country,” according to him. Thousands of households, farmers, and Indigenous communities have been impacted, with many displaced as Bolivia’s Wildfires destroy crops, animals, and homes. The air and water contamination caused by the wildfires has exacerbated the humanitarian disaster. Dramatic photographs show Bolivians racing to save their things from the inferno.

According to government data accessible as of September, 4.6 million hectares of forest and 2.3 million hectares of grasslands had been lost, with September being the most disastrous month this year. Fires have ruined habitats and displaced species, worsening the environmental impact. According to data from Brazil’s INPE space agency, Bolivia has recorded 82,117 active fire outbreaks in 2024 as of October 6, nearly matching the full-year record of 83,000 fire outbreaks set in 2010.

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The Impact of Climate Change on Human Activity

Scientists and environmentalists warn that, while many of these fires are caused by human activity, such as land clearing for cow ranching and grain cultivation, fossil fuel-driven climate change exacerbates the problem. Compounding by prolonged drought, hot and dry conditions have allowed fires to grow unchecked. Like much of South America, Bolivia has been experiencing strong heat waves since last year, which have fuelled the fires.

Bolivia’s government declared a national catastrophe on October 6 in response to growing calls for more effective action from local governments, community organisations, and residents. Despite efforts to contain the fires, the situation remains serious. According to Gonzalo Colque, director of the Tierra Foundation, 2024 will be remembered as “the worst environmental disaster in Bolivia’s history.”

The flames endanger Bolivia’s ecosystem, biodiversity, and economy, particularly in agricultural areas such as Santa Cruz. With October yet ahead and dry conditions prevailing, the country faces an enduring battle to put these devastating fires under control. The long-term environmental and social consequences are predicted to be significant, leaving indelible marks on Bolivia’s terrain and populations.

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