In Brazil’s Cerrado region, Indigenous fire practices reshape wildfire strategy

TOCANTINIA, Brazil (AP) — Fire began crackling like approaching rain on a recent morning in the Xerente Indigenous Territory in Tocantins in northern Brazil. But the Indigenous residents weren't afraid and didn't rush to put it out.

The flames were intentional as part of a wildfire prevention effort planned by the Xerente in coordination with environmental officials before the peak dry months of August and September.

The Xerente live in the Cerrado, a savanna in central and northern Brazil. Every year, villages face the threat of large-scale forest fires, a danger likely to worsen with the arrival of El Niño, a phenomenon that prolongs drought and pushes regional temperatures higher.

After decades of experiencing prejudice, Indigenous leaders now coordinate with the government to apply ancestral knowledge to prevent large wildfires.

During the action, a joint brigade of IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental protection agency, and trained Indigenous people moved into the savanna. On the ground, part of the team used the traditional technique of igniting fires with drip torches or dry palm leaves. A smaller group dropped incendiary spheres from a government helicopter to target-mapped areas.

If a fire threatened to get out of control, crews intervened immediately. The result was a patchwork of burned areas across the savanna that should help protect the ecosystem in the months ahead.

“They know the region, the climate, the vegetation, and the best times to set fires. We began seeking traditional knowledge, learning from them and adapting it to our objectives, aligning with their use of fire,” said Marco Borges, an IBAMA agent coordinating fire prevention in Tocantins. “We’ve learned they are actually our best teachers."

Brazilian officials long followed a “zero-fire” strategy, treating any small burn as a threat to be quickly suppressed and banned under all circumstances. Over time, that approach fell out of favor and authorities began embracing new land management approaches combining traditional knowledge with science. In 2014, the government began partnering with Indigenous communities on controlled burns.

Fire is part of the natural evolution of savanna forests like the Cerrado and several species benefit from periodic burns, said Leandro Maracahipes, a biologist and Yale University researcher.

Fires historically have occurred naturally, sparked by lightning, at the start of the rainy season between October and April. But human activity has led to more destructive fires during the peak drought months of August and September that often are linked to pasture clearing near Xerente territory, which is surrounded by soy and cattle farms.

In the early dry season, when vegetation isn't yet fully arid, small controlled burns help reduce flammable grass buildup. These burn areas create barriers around villages, headwaters and sensitive sites, protecting them from wildfires during peak drought.

“Totally excluding fire leads to a buildup of fuel that feeds high-intensity burns. Such fires can kill even resilient trees and make firefighting nearly impossible as flames spread rapidly across the landscape, including into forests,” Maracahipes said.

When official vehicles arrived in Xerente territory to begin their work, about 30 Indigenous people stood waiting, lined up at a wood-and-thatch tent used as the people’s association headquarters.

They formed two parallel lines, creating a corridor. On the left, a group wore official fire brigade uniforms: bright yellow shirts, green pants and protective boots. On the right stood mostly shirtless men, their bodies marked with traditional painted patterns, some wearing shoes and others with flip-flops. Facing each other, they chanted traditional songs, stomping their feet in rhythm.

At the end of the corridor, Chief Lazaro Xerente, 68, the eldest leader of his people, waited, also shirtless with his torso painted, wearing a feathered headdress. He thanked officials for their presence, but also expressed concern.

“People say, ‘Oh, it’s the Indigenous people who are causing fires,’ when in fact, since I was born, and long before me, my ancestors have always protected the forest,” he said in his native language with translation by Bolivar Rodrigues Xerente of Brazil’s Indigenous affairs agency FUNAI.

After major fires make headlines, out-of-context images of Indigenous people often circulate on social media in Brazil, falsely blaming them and officials for the destruction. In reality, every burn is carefully planned by fire departments.

The operation began with teams gathered around a long wooden table inside a tent to map out the day’s burns, combining satellite data with Indigenous knowledge of the territory to identify areas requiring management.

Some Xerente were hired by the government for two-year terms and receive training and a monthly salary, while others serve as volunteers. The efforts are partly funded through a partnership between Bunge Foundation and IBAMA to support training and equipment for up to 40 Indigenous brigades across five states in the Cerrado and the Amazon.

In regions like the Cerrado and the Amazon, El Niño usually brings higher temperatures and prolonged drought, creating conditions that allow wildfires to thrive. During the most recent event from 2023 to 2024, Brazil saw historic fires that burned more than 30.8 million hectares (76.1 million acres) in 2024, an area larger than Italy, according to MapBiomas, a nonprofit that tracks deforestation and fire.

The Amazon was hardest hit, accounting for nearly 60% of the burned area. The Cerrado ranked second with almost 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) affected.

Brazil’s Environment Ministry said that it has tracked El Niño impacts since early this year, deploying more than 4,000 brigade members nationwide. Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the government established a national fire management policy in 2024 to coordinate authorities and civil society, including the use of controlled burns with Indigenous communities.

Humidity has a dampening effect on wildfires, which normally helps protect the Amazon.

“However, in extreme years like the approaching El Niño, tropical forests become more susceptible to fire,” Maracahipes said, adding that the Amazon should remain protected by a zero-fire policy.

But in the Cerrado, fire is an effective land management tool.

“When applied with technical expertise, fire can significantly contribute to environmental conservation,” said André Lima, secretary for deforestation control and land-use planning at the Ministry of the Environment. “In prescribed or controlled burns for agricultural production, for example, it can help prevent major disasters.”

Bolivar Rodrigues Xerente of FUNAI said that his Indigenous elders have taught him that traditional knowledge and modern science are like the two wings of a bird.

“A bird with two wings can navigate the wind, but with only one wing, it can't,” he said. “Technology, without traditional knowledge in the Indigenous communities, doesn’t work.”

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Xerente Indigenous firefighters attend a controlled burn as part of a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Ana Shelley Xerente, 35, the first woman to lead an Indigenous brigade ignites fires with dry palm leaves during a controlled burn as part of a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A Xerente Indigenous firefighter attends a controlled burn as part of a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Xerente Indigenous firefighters attend a controlled burn as part of a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Balls used to ignite fires are displayed during a fire prevention operation by IBAMA officers, Brazil's environmental protection agency, at the Xerente Indigenous territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Xerente Indigenous people attend a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Xerente Indigenous firefighters stand during a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Xerente Indigenous firefighters stand during a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Chief Lazaro Xerente, 68, the eldest leader of the Xerente Indigenous people, attends a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Officers from IBAMA, Brazil's environmental protection agency, drop fire-starting balls from a helicopter for a controlled burn as part of a fire prevention operation at the Xerente Indigenous territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Xerente Indigenous firefighters attend a controlled burn as part of a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Xerente Indigenous people, part of a fire brigade formed by women, ignite fires as part of a controlled burn with dry palm leaves during a fire prevention operation along Brazil's environmental protection agency, IBAMA, at the Xerente territory, near Tocantinia, Tocantins state, Brazil, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. has no talks planned with Iran but insisted the Strait of Hormuz remains “open and operating,” despite limited traffic and a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway.

Earlier this week, Trump also threatened to bomb Oman as the country sought a deal with Iran to manage shipping traffic through the strait, two regional officials said Tuesday, a day after Trump reportedly leveled the threat if Oman "gets in the way.” Iran says the waterway will not be reopened until the U.S. meets its conditions.

As talks between Iran and Oman continue, a projectile hit a ship in the strait and Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia.

Here’s a look at the latest developments Tuesday in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

As Oman and Iran say they are nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said on social media Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains “in full force and effect,” but asserted that all water mines have been removed and that other marine traffic was free to pass.

Trump posted a map depicting the strait as U.S. territory.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi appeared to respond to Trump’s post.

“Just as Trump correctly wrote the name of the eternal Persian Gulf, soon his delusion regarding the Strait of Hormuz will either be corrected or we will correct the delusions of this deluded man," he wrote on X.

The Trump administration has told Oman it opposes parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, according to officials briefed on the U.S. position. Those include joint Iranian and Omani management of the passage's exit route and the collection of voluntary fees from vessels, even if the money is used for security and maritime environmental protection.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.

The White House on Tuesday referred to Trump’s remarks in the Oval Office and declined to comment further about Oman.

— By Samy Magdy in Cairo

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Iranian-Omani deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations for a “comprehensive and permanent deal that addresses all concerns and enhances regional security and stability.”

The statement came after a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. But it did not address Trump’s latest threat against Oman.

The 60-day negotiating period ended this week between the U.S. and Iran with no clear end to the war in sight.

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped significantly last week, with confirmed crossings falling 19.5% to 95 transits. Only three vessels made it through the waterway on Sunday, according to shipping data platform Kpler.

The ships used the Iranian-designated route through the strait, with no crossings recorded through the Omani routes.

Crossings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait increased 6.7% to 254 transits, while so-called dark transits, in which ships turn off the transponders that broadcast their location, fell from 40 to 16, Kpler said.

An unidentified projectile damaged the engine room of a ship in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman and “resulted in a crew casualty," according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center.

The maritime monitoring agency did not release any details about the ship or its cargo, and it was not clear whether the crew member was killed or wounded.

No environmental damage has been reported and the agency said the Omani Coast Guard was assisting other crew members and authorities were investigating.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they fired drones at an oil refinery in neighboring Saudi Arabia, the latest attack threatening to reignite Yemen’s civil war and open another front in the Middle East.

The attack targeted a facility run by Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company, according to a report by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. There were no immediate reports of damage or comment from Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have escalated attacks against government forces in Yemen and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s shipping in the Red Sea, an important alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

An Israeli strike hit Gaza City on Tuesday, killing six people, including a child, and wounding 14 others, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.

The Israeli military said it struck Hamas commanders in the Shati area who it said were planning to carry out attacks against Israeli forces.

The heaviest fighting has subsided since a ceasefire in the more than two-year war took hold in October. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes since then, killing at least 1,266 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza.

The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates said two ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward the UAE on Tuesday.

One landed outside of the country’s waters, and the other landed within them, the Emirati Defense Ministry said. It was unclear whether the missiles were shot down by air defenses or fell. No damage or injuries were reported.

Iran early Wednesday rejected the UAE’s claims that it launched missiles toward the country.

In a post on social media, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said Dubai’s accusations were “detrimental to ongoing efforts to strengthen trust among the countries of the region and prevent a further deterioration of security.” He called on the nations in the region to not make “baseless accusations” against Iran.

In the weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28, the UAE was frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, but Tuesday’s reported attack was the first in weeks.

Dark oil residue covers parts of the shoreline at Shib Deraz Beach on Qeshm Island, Iran, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, amid ongoing wartime attacks on vessels and infrastructure in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though the spill’s source has not been independently determined. (Amirhosein Khorgooei/ISNA)