Samarco carries out a Forest Fire Prevention and Firefighting Campaign

Program combines technological monitoring, specialized brigades, and educational actions with the internal public, schools, and communities surrounding the Serra do Gandarela National Park; along the Doce River Basin, 6,858 kilometers of fences were installed to protect reforestation areas and springs

With the onset of the dry season and to reduce wildfire risks, Samarco conducts the Forest Fire Prevention and Firefighting Campaign in Minas Gerais. The initiative is part of the company's environmental protection measures in the region and reinforces its commitment to the conservation of the Serra do Gandarela National Park, a protected area close to the Germano unit, in Mariana, which shelters significant remnants of the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado formations, and rocky fields (campos rupestres) with high biodiversity, as well as springs and watercourses.

To protect this ecosystem, the company maintains three observation towers that monitor hotspots within the conservation unit and its surroundings, in addition to a specialized professional brigade, trained and equipped, including with aerial support, which conducts daily field inspections to check access points, firebreaks, and potential fire spots. The structure is complemented by continuous monitoring of fauna, noise, air quality, and water quality.

Within this same context of the campaign, forest fire prevention and firefighting measures are also addressed, covering the Uaimií State Forest, located in the municipality of Ouro Preto.

“Real-time monitoring gives us the agility to contain initial fire outbreaks, but the success of prevention lies in social engagement. This is why we address the topic through educational actions of the Environmental Education Program (PEA) in classrooms, in the daily lives of local residents, and with our internal public”, assesses Ana Paula De Almeida Correa, Environmental analyst at Samarco.

On the community front, the campaign conducts educational actions in five schools within the region, two in Santa Rita Durão (Mariana) and three in Antônio Pereira (Ouro Preto). The children were able to learn about and handle equipment used in firefighting. Furthermore, in the first semester, playful parades and educational awareness drives were conducted in the communities of Cristal (Ouro Preto) and Camargos (Mariana), providing practical guidelines on prevention.

The actions included the participation of the Fire Department and Samarco's Fire Brigade. Theatrical interventions in schools and a basic course on handling and fighting fires for the communities of Camargos, Santa Rita Durão (Mariana), Cristal, and Antônio Pereira (Ouro Preto) are scheduled. Among the main messages disseminated are the prohibition of using fire for land clearing, the maintenance of clean firebreaks, the proper disposal of cigarette butts, and the importance of immediately reporting any smoke spot to the Fire Department (193) or Civil Defense (199). Causing forest fires is a crime under Law No. 9.605/1998, subject to fines and imprisonment.

Infrastructure and protection in the reparation of the Doce River Basin

The prevention effort is also part of the forest restoration strategy within the scope of the Doce River Basin reparation. Currently, approximately 6,858 kilometers of fences protect 47,342 hectares of Permanent Preservation and Water Recovery Areas, including 4,587 springs within part of this area. Additionally, 96.47 hectares of firebreaks were established, which act as physical barriers against fire propagation.

According to Samarco's Environment General Manager, João Batista, these actions aim to leverage the reparation works along the basin. “The protection of reforested areas and springs is indispensable for the success of environmental reparation actions. Preventing fires from compromising these regions means accelerating ecosystem recovery and generating long-lasting benefits for the entire basin”, he states.