File:Fires in Paraguay (MODIS 2024-03-23).jpg

English: More than 100 fires were reported burning across Paraguay on March 16, 2024, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image. Each red “hot spot” marks high temperatures and, when combined with typical smoke, represents actively burning fire.

The wildfires are fueled by low humidity and vegetation desiccated by an extreme heatwave across parts of South America. On March 11, the city of Mercedes, Uruguay set a record high temperature of 40.5°C (104.9°F). Slightly less blistering, Buenos Aires, Argentina, also set an all-time high on the same date, with readings of 38.6°C (101.5°F). Temperatures in Uruguay have been hovering near 40°C (104°).

On March 17, local media reported that the second National Commander of the Volunteer Fire Department of Paraguay stated that there were more than 100 active fires, but also more than 300 “heat points” nationwide. He was also quoted as saying that 90 percent of the fires are “a consequence of human action” and called on citizens to avoid burning garbage and grasslands.