Forest fires in the Amazon Part 3: In the midst of the fires

Cattle farm: A surprising mission

After returning to the fire station from the helicopter flight, I found out that I was allowed to accompany two firefighting teams on a multi-day mission. We drove for just under an hour by car. The thick smoke continued to hang heavy in the air, visibility remained limited and breathing became increasingly difficult. The sandy, yellowish soil of the cattle farms mixed with the smoke and turned the already desolate landscape an ominous orange-grey.

We reached the entrance gate to a cattle farm. A firefighter and I looked at each other questioningly. Why were we driving onto a cattle farm?

It turned out that a wooded area at the rear of the 100 square kilometer farm was on fire. Our mission was to contain the fire to protect the cattle farm. How ironic, I thought. We were protecting the land of an interest group that had probably started the fires themselves.

Five men, three women, four children and around 10,000 cattle lived on the farm. In order to maximize the profitability of breeding, the female animals were kept for reproduction, while the males were taken to the slaughterhouse after breeding and then exported to China.

The farm manager told me that he received two US dollars for a kilogram of beef in 2020. In 2024, he was already selling the kilo for five dollars. The trade agreement with China had increased demand so much that the price had risen by 150% in just four years. The cattle business seemed to have become extremely lucrative in a short space of time.

After dropping off our bags, we packed the vehicles for the first mission. We drove about 15 kilometers along the farm. The huge area stretched four kilometers into the distance on either side of the road. Scattered trees reminded us that there had once been rainforest here. The ground was yellow-brown, the grass dried out. There was thick smoke above the horizon. The few rays of sunlight that penetrated the gray layer were more depressing than illuminating.

On the drive, we talked about the entanglements of the interest groups that profit from slash-and-burn agriculture. A member of the Bolivian fire department explained to me that all large cattle ranch owners must be connected to the narcos (drug cartels) in some way - otherwise they would not be able to run their business. In addition to the formal structures, there are also informal power networks that have been passed down for generations, especially among the large landowners.

First night in the flames: Fire against fire

The first mission taught me that sometimes it can make sense to fight fire with fire. The forest fire was approaching the cattle farm from the south. We positioned ourselves on the southern boundary of the farm and looked at the approaching flames. I wondered what a dozen people, equipped with GPS devices, shovels, machetes, firefighting swatters and two 15-liter firefighting backpacks, could do against a forest fire almost three kilometers wide. The answer was: set fire to it.

Two canisters of liquid fuel were poured out along the northernmost side of the forest and ignited. The aim was to burn the area of forest bordering the cattle ranch in a controlled manner to deprive the approaching fire of fuel. In this case, fuel meant all combustible biomass - plants, dead wood and animals. It felt paradoxical to burn down a relatively small area of forest to prevent a larger blaze from damaging a cattle farm. Especially because - at least in my mind - the existence of such cattle ranches was one of the main reasons for the fires in the Amazon.

Mistrust: Who benefits from the fires?

It made me angry to think that the men who worked on this farm had probably set fire to the wooded area to the south themselves. I didn't speak to them about it, but my suspicion grew. It seemed conspicuous that the fire was spreading in the direction of the farm. Why was this isolated strip of forest on the southern boundary of the farm on fire? Of course, I was only guessing, but I couldn't help thinking that the fire department was unintentionally helping to expand the farmland. The strategy seemed simple: first let the forest burn down, then call the fire department to stop the flames at the border of the farm and thus create new pastureland.

But there were also subtle signs. The way the farm manager stood with his head held high in front of the burning forest. The way he took a deep drag on his cigarette and savored the smoke before flicking the butt into the fire with more pressure than necessary. The last sip from his beer can, so slowly, as if he wanted to draw it into infinity. The gleeful crushing of the can in his hand and the disrespectful throwing away to the edge of the forest. His misogynistic jokes and the five German words he knew - two of which were F*tze and *rschloch.

Anyone who treats themselves and their fellow human beings like that would probably have no qualms about burning down a forest, I thought to myself.

His three helpers also gave me a dubious impression. They looked as if they had been collected from the nearest village petrol station while drinking beer and had been offered the chance to work on the farm with chainsaws, petrol and an excavator. On the first night of our assignment, they impressively demonstrated that they could handle all these toys expertly.

And to top it all off: While the rainforest was on fire, animals were dying or fleeing, chainsaws were roaring, the smell of gasoline was in the air and beer cans were flying carelessly to the ground, in the background loud Argentinian rock music from the car loudspeakers. The driving rhythms and uplifting melodies from the 1990s gave me a bizarre feeling of “Hurray, the world is coming to an end!”.

I had to process that in my head first. At that moment, one of the most biodiverse places on earth was destroyed. A forest that is home to countless creatures, provides food and medicine and is also a place of culture and spirituality for many indigenous peoples. Scientists regard the Amazon as a gigantic carbon store, oxygen producer and climate regulator. The rainforest is the largest source of fresh water on our planet. And all this is being burned down for even more power and money with cold beer and good mood music.

I remembered Padmé from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. When Chancellor Palpatine proclaimed the first galactic empire before the Senate, thus sealing the end of the Republic, Padmé spoke with a trembling voice: “So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause”

Rainforest: A tough fight for survival

I learned that a rainforest is not easy to kill. It takes more than just one fire. Many forest areas therefore have to be burned down several times over the years. It also takes large machines to fell the trees. Vehicles to clear paths. And excavators to level the ground so that it can be used for agriculture.

I was told that the section of forest that we had allowed to burn in a controlled manner must have caught fire in previous years. The charred tree trunks and the gray-white bark indicated this.

I wondered how many years from now cattle would be grazing here.

The head of the volunteer fire department showed me on his GPS device how the fire was approaching. We dealt with the smallest fire on the map. A neighboring fire was much larger. I counted the kilometers and was amazed that the flames stretched over 15 kilometers. The incident commander just smiled and said: “That's nothing yet.” Then he zoomed out further and moved the map to the largest fire in the region. The fire was raging for 300 kilometers through the rainforest. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought of the animals and plants that were helplessly at the mercy of this huge roller of fire.

Cattle farm: Interview with the farm manager

Before we set off on our second mission the next day, the farm manager told me that he had worked in the timber industry for a long time. There is a high demand from Europe and China for wood from rare tree species, which is used for the construction of luxury cars such as Rolls-Royce, for example. However, bureaucratic hurdles often hindered economic progress in the timber industry. As the sale of timber requires numerous permits, it is sometimes easier to export the timber to Europe or China illegally.

He told of a politician who wanted to sell 500 stolen trunks of a rare and particularly valuable tree species to China. However, government regulations prevented the legal export. After this failed, she tried to sell the wood illegally. However, she was caught. As she came from an influential family, the government could not simply take action against her. Neither the police nor the authorities intervened, and so she went unpunished. After political negotiations and a gift of three cattle heads, she was finally given permission to sell the wood.

With regard to slash-and-burn, the farm manager told me that the penalties for burning forest to make it usable for agriculture are significantly cheaper and take less time compared to the legal approval procedures. He left open whether he himself used this time-saving and cost-effective method.

Second night in the flames: The silent death of the forest

What I learned on the second night was that a forest can also die peacefully. I had always imagined forest fires as raging, all-destroying firestorms. And of course there are, but this night felt more like the calm after the storm. Many small fires crackled quietly, their faint lights illuminating the darkness. At least what was left. Bare bushes and trees protruded from the ashen ground.

Every now and then a loud popping sound was heard. Beetles trapped in the slowly burning tree trunks burned from the inside out. The same fate befell ants, termites and other insects living in the soil or wood. Frogs, turtles, sloths, armadillos, spiders and lizards also had little chance of escape. Firefighters often found the charred remains of snakes that could not escape quickly enough. Jaguars and birds had a better chance of survival, but the fires forced them into ever smaller habitats. There, the growing population led to competition for food and conflicts in the social hierarchies.

The slow burning of the charred tree trunks lent the scene a strangely nostalgic atmosphere. The citrusy scent of burnt palo santo masses brought an almost peaceful nuance to the night. It felt like the forest was peacefully falling asleep like an old person while those closest to him held his hands.

But the next moment I remembered that this death was not natural. People had deliberately brought it about - this year, in the years before and again in the years to come.

Farewell: The last hours in the crisis area

We were due to leave the next morning, but the fire chief spontaneously decided to stay another two days. The thought of leaving the team behind didn't feel right to me. Over the last two nights, I had formed a close bond with the firefighters. The hard 12-hour shifts had welded us together. Everyone had a fixed role, equipped with special tools to brave the flames. We worked shoulder to shoulder, breathing the same toxic smoke and fighting the fire together.

But before the firefighters set off for their third night, they dropped me off on the main road. From there, I hitchhiked back to Concepción.

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Background information

What are the consequences of the fires for those affected?

The fires in the Amazon have serious health consequences for the local population. Children, the elderly and indigenous communities are particularly hard hit. The high level of smoke pollution during the forest fire season leads to an increase in respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and other lung damage. In the affected months alone, there are hundreds of thousands of hospital admissions every year due to respiratory problems.¹ Zudem gefährden der Rauch und die Umweltverschmutzung das Herz-Kreislauf-System und erhöhen das Risiko für chronische Krankheiten.² The fires also destroy water sources and affect agriculture, leading to a lack of drinking water and food shortages.³

In addition to the physical consequences, the destruction of the rainforest also has a psychological impact on people. The loss of habitat and economic foundations leads to considerable stress, depression and anxiety disorders. Indigenous communities in particular, whose way of life is inextricably linked to the forest, are experiencing increasing social destabilization.⁴ Deforestation also changes the ecological balance and promotes the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.⁵ Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are further increasing health risks, particularly from heatwaves, which affect vulnerable population groups in particular.⁶

Data that we should always be aware of

• In dem sogenannten „Amazônia Legal“-Gebiet in Brasilien wurden zwischen 2009 und 2019 rund 565.000 Krankenhauseinweisungen aufgrund von Atemwegserkrankungen bei Personen im Alter von 0–14 Jahren und über 60 Jahren dokumentiert, was ein Anteil von 37 Prozent der Gesamteinweisungen ist.¹
• It was found that for every 1,000 forest fires during the fire season, around 22 additional hospital admissions occur due to respiratory illnesses.¹
• With a cattle population of 10 million and an annual production of 260,000 tons, Bolivia is aiming to become one of the top 15 beef exporters in the world.⁷
• Livestock farming is expanding rapidly in the departments of Beni and Santa Cruz, particularly for beef production for export to China.⁸

1. Ribeiro, M. R., Lima, M. V. M., Ilacqua, R. C., Savoia, E. J. L., Alvarenga, R., Vittor, A. Y., Raimundo, R. D., & Laporta, G. Z. (2024). Amazon Wildfires and Respiratory Health: Impacts during the Forest Fire Season from 2009 to 2019. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(6), 675. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21060675
2. Umweltbundesamt. (n.d.). Luft: Gesundheitsbelastung durch Waldbrände. Umweltbundesamt. Abgerufen am 14.02.2025, von [https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/gesundheit/umwelteinfluesse-auf-den-menschen/besondere-belastungssituationen/luft-gesundheitsbelastung-durch-waldbraende]
3. Umwelt im Unterricht. (2019, 30. August). Waldbrände im Amazonasgebiet: Ursachen und Folgen. BMUV-Bildungsservice. Abgerufen am 14.02.2025, von [https://www.umwelt-im-unterricht.de]
4. National Geographic. (2021, Juli). Brasilien: Immer mehr Attacken auf indigene Völker im Amazonas-Regenwald. National Geographic Deutschland. Abgerufen am 14.02.2025, von [https://www.nationalgeographic.de/umwelt/2021/07/brasilien-immer-mehr-attacken-auf-indigene-voelker-im-amazonas-regenwald]
5. WWF Deutschland. (n.d.). Umweltzerstörung und Gesundheit. WWF Deutschland. Abgerufen am 14.02.2025, von [https://www.wwf.de/themen-projekte/artenschutz/one-health-gesundheit-von-mensch-tier-und-umwelt/umweltzerstoerung-und-gesundheit]
6. Flores, B. M., Montoya, E., Sakschewski, B., Nascimento, N., Staal, A., Betts, R. A., Levis, C., Lapola, D. M., Esquível-Muelbert, A., Jakovac, C., Nobre, C. A., Oliveira, R. S., Borma, L. S., Nian, D., Boers, N., Hecht, S. B., ter Steege, H., Arieira, J., Lucas, I. L., Berenguer, E., Marengo, J. A., Gatti, L. V., Mattos, C. R. C., & Hirota, M. (2024). Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06970-0
7. Xinhua News Agency. (2019, 28. August). Bolivia exports first batch of beef to China. Belt and Road Portal. Abgerufen am 14.02.2025, von https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/p/101826.html
8. Peralta Rivero, C. (2022). La Amazonia Boliviana Bajo Amenaza: Extractivismos, Impactos Locales y Socio Territoriales. Manuskript, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés.