Mexican forests are dying under fire. So far in 2026, more than 132,500 hectares have suffered 2,565 forest fires across the country, according to the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), which forecasts an increase in these incidents in the coming months. In just the first 10 days of April, 121 fires were reported that damaged up to 5,000 hectares. Of the more than 132,000 hectares affected, 98% corresponds to vegetation in the herbaceous and shrub strata, and 2% to arboreal. In all of 2025, Conafor recorded 7,016 forest fires that affected 1.2 million hectares.
The State of Mexico and Jalisco are the most affected states, followed by Mexico City, Michoacán, Puebla, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Chiapas, Morelos, and Chihuahua, according to a report by Conafor and the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). The report adds that of the total fires, 644 (25%) belong to fire-sensitive ecosystems (about 43,000 hectares), and more than 4,600 hectares damaged correspond to Protected Natural Areas.
Conafor has warned that the weather conditions in the coming days are critical. “According to the forecast of the National Meteorological Service of Mexico, during Wednesday 15, Thursday 16, and Friday 17 April, a high-pressure system will be present over the west and center of the country, which will cause unusually high temperatures, strong wind gusts, and low humidity in the environment. Together, these factors drastically increase the risk of fires,” it reads. Additionally, they call on the population to “strictly” avoid the use of fire in forested, agricultural, or grassland areas during this period.
These weather conditions prevail year after year, especially during the months of April and May. “In this scenario, the Fire Management Department of Conafor maintains permanent monitoring of danger conditions through the Forest Fire Danger Prediction System, which integrates meteorological information, fuel dryness, and heat points available to the public,” they communicated during the second week of April.
If the use of fire is absolutely necessary for agricultural purposes, Conafor asks that the corresponding municipality be notified in advance, so that local authorities can carry out tasks to reduce the likelihood that such burns turn into forest fires.
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The three most affected entities have not remained idle. The State of Mexico administration has 86 firefighting brigades; 26 belong to the public body Forest Protector (Probosque). The rest belong to Conafor, the Secretariat of Defense, the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, the State Commission of Natural Parks and Wildlife, as well as municipal, rural, and community brigades.
The rains recorded in Jalisco in recent days have given the territory a respite. For the first time in six years, the tequila state does not top the list of forest fires, but the figure remains significant.
At the beginning of this month, the capital’s government launched the campaign to combat forest fires, deploying 4,000 personnel to attend to the incidents. With this, Clara Brugada’s administration seeks to reduce disasters by 10% this year.
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