Dry season fuels surge of fires along Brazil's BR-040 highway

The concessionaire EPR Via Mineira reported that 75% of the 274 fires recorded on the BR-040 corridor in Minas Gerais occurred between July and December 2025, when low humidity and high temperatures favor fire spread. About 598,000 m² were burned that year, with more than 507,000 m² (roughly 84 football fields) consumed during the dry months.

The most affected municipalities included Carandaí, Conselheiro Lafaiete, Barbacena, Ressaquinha, Santos Dumont, Cristiano Otoni, Alfredo Vasconcelos, Belo Horizonte and Nova Lima. The largest incident was on 4 October 2025 at km 679.2 in Carandaí, burning approximately 33,200 m² and prompting a joint response from EPR crews and the fire brigade.

In the first half of 2026, fire occurrences dropped to 44, a 31% reduction compared with the same period in 2025, though officials warn that the most critical months begin in August. EPR Via Mineira continues to monitor weather conditions and heat signatures in real time, alerting its Operational Control Center to dispatch rapid assistance.