Monday, August 26, 2024

Brazil launches 'war' on wildfires devastating Sao Paulo state

Brazil has deployed military aircraft to combat raging wildfires in the densely populated state of Sao Paulo, where authorities suspect arsonists are responsible for the blazes. Following a crisis meeting, President Lula da Silva and Environment Minister Marina Silva announced a "war against the fire," as emergency measures were put in place and investigations into the suspicious fires began.

Issued on: 26/08/2024 -
Firefighters battling a fire on a motorway in Sao Carlos, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 23, 2024. © Lourival Izaque, AFP

Brazil was deploying military aircraft as part of a "war" against wildfires ravaging the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, with authorities warning on Sunday that arsonists were setting blazes.

Following a crisis meeting of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's cabinet, Environment Minister Marina Silva announced a "war against the fire" and said federal police were investigating the "atypical situation" that has caused extensive damage.

"So far we have not detected any fire caused by lightning, which means there are people starting fires," Lula said in a video that he posted on X after meeting with Silva.


Tarcisio de Freitas, the governor of Sao Paulo, by far the country's most populous state with some 44 million residents, decreed a state of emergency in 45 municipalities and said two people suspected of starting fires had been arrested.

The president promised federal assistance to the states in fighting the blazes, saying there were already 3,000 firefighters working nationwide.

With dense smoke drifting across a wide swath of Brazil -- even reaching capital city Brasilia 720 kilometers (450 miles) to the north -- several flights have been canceled and travel on some roads has been halted.

"I stuck my nose out last night around 7:00 pm and I had a lot of trouble breathing," 66-year-old retiree Carlos Rodrigues told AFP. "I've lived here 32 years and I've never seen anything like it."

Two factory workers died Friday in Urupes, in the northern part of the state, while fighting a fire, officials said.

The military aircraft being deployed include a KC-390 Embraer, a converted troop transport craft that can drop up to 12,000 liters (3,170 gallons) of water on fire zones.

Videos posted on social media showed the city plunged into near-darkness by a dense layer of smoke. © Marcelo Camargo, Agencia Brasil via AFP

The Embraer was sent to one of the communities most threatened, Ribeirao Preto, a city of 700,000 inhabitants about 300 kilometers from Sao Paulo.

But Silva said the plane "was unable to operate because of the amount of smoke," adding: "That gives you an idea of the problem."

Videos posted on social media showed the city plunged into near-darkness by a dense layer of smoke. Some residents have had to evacuate.

"It's apocalyptic," a person is heard saying in one video.

Authorities were hoping rains that fell Sunday would help alleviate the crisis.

Around the region, farm fields have burned and scores of cattle have died.

The dense smoke drifted across Brazil, reaching as far as capital city Brasilia about 720 kilometers away. © Marcelo Camargo, Agencia Brasil via AFP


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Governor de Freitas said 10 million reais (around $1.8 million) were being allocated to help farmers who lose crops or livestock.

Amid prolonged drought, Sao Paulo state is experiencing its worst month for fires in decades, with 3,480 separate blazes identified, according to INPE, the National Institute for Space Research.

The government directly linked the situation to climate change.

"We have to fight climate change with a lot of intelligence, and with financing from the richest countries that have already destroyed their forests."

(AFP)



Smoke from wildfires fills the air in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Marcos Limonti)


Burnt trees lie next to condominiums as wildfires rage in Sao Paulo state in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Marcos Limonti)


Smoke from wildfires fills the air near above the Mario Donega highway in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Marcos Limonti)


A bird stands on burnt reeds during nearby wildfires in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Marcos Limonti)


Wildfires in Brazil’s southern state of Sao Paulo have killed at least two people and 42 cities have been put on high alert. The fires have raged in the region outside the city of Sao Paulo, one of Latin America’s most populous cities with more than 11 million residents. (AP video by Marcos Limonti)

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