Wildfires in Brazil have led to widespread smog, affecting cities like Brasilia and across Sao Paulo state.
The smoke originates from fires in the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado savannah, and Pantanal wetland.
As reported by the Associated Press, fire alerts in Sao Paulo state reached almost 3,500 this month, with over half of those fires recorded on August 23, sparking concerns of coordinated actions.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Brazil’s fire monitoring center on Sunday to address the issue.
He emphasized that all fires were human-caused: “No fires caused by lightning were detected.
“This means that people are setting fires in the Amazon, the Pantanal, and especially in the state of Sao Paulo,” Lula said.
The government has committed to intensifying firefighting efforts and investigating those responsible.
Brasilia’s environment institute reported very unhealthy air quality levels on Sunday night, prompting the cancellation of public events and briefly closing Goiania airport.
This marked the first smog alert since the institute’s creation in 2007.
The source of the smog was traced to fires from various regions, including the Amazon and Pantanal, worsened by changes in climatic conditions, according to Karla Longo, a researcher at Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.
Fortunately, a cold front on Monday brought relief to parts of Sao Paulo, with cooler temperatures and rain helping extinguish the fires.
However, the lasting environmental damage remains a concern, as deforestation and wildfires continue to affect vast areas across the country.
Wildfires have claimed lives and destroyed agricultural land in Brazil this month.
In Sao Paulo, two industrial workers died while attempting to control a fire on Friday.
A separate incident in the Amazon led to the death of a federal brigade firefighter while battling flames in the Capoto Jarina Indigenous Territory.
These fires have ravaged about 59,000 hectares of sugar cane plantations in Sao Paulo state alone, as reported by a local producers’ association.
Environmental journalist Altino Machado noted that the severity of the issue only garnered attention after the smoke infiltrated the presidential palace.
“It took the smoke and soot from the Amazon and the Cerrado invading the halls of the presidential palace for the federal government to wake up,” Machado said.
Researcher Karla Longo explained that Brazil’s wildfires are not unusual for this time of year but that the extent of burned areas is greater than average.
Between January and July 2024, areas equal to the size of Italy were destroyed by fire, which is 64% larger than in the same period last year.
Wildfires are frequently used in Brazil for deforestation and pasture management, contributing to almost half of the country’s carbon emissions.
Brazil ranks as the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for almost 3% of global emissions.
The fires and deforestation contribute significantly to the country’s carbon footprint, which remains a critical challenge in global environmental discussions.
Wildfires in Brazil’s Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal regions have created a smog crisis impacting major cities like Brasilia and across Sao Paulo state.
As reported by the Associated Press, Sao Paulo has seen nearly 3,500 fire alerts this month, and the smoke caused red alerts in 48 cities.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed that the fires were human-caused and promised to step up efforts to extinguish them.
Two workers and one firefighter have died as a result of the wildfires, and significant damage to agricultural land has been reported.
The arrival of a cold front helped reduce the fires, but large-scale environmental destruction and high carbon emissions continue to be a concern for the country.
