Fire dynamics in the South American Chaco and their link to agriculture and drought

Nature Sustainability, Published online: 27 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01793-z Climate change, particularly intensifying droughts, is often blamed for wildfires across the Gran Chaco, a vast South American dry woodland. An analysis of over 30 years of fire patterns, however, reveals that the majority of fires are driven by agricultural expansion and deforestation.