Brazil Declares Itself “At War” Against Fires

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Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva announced on Sunday that the country is “at war with fires and crime,” as a state of emergency was declared in 45 cities in the southeastern state of São Paulo.

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After an emergency meeting with left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the minister said that the federal police had launched investigations into the causes of the wildfires that hit the region in recent days.

Lula stated on the platform “X” that “the police will lead the investigation, and the government will work with all states to combat the fires.”

São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, who declared a state of emergency in 45 municipalities, confirmed the arrest of two individuals suspected of deliberately starting fires.

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One of the most affected areas is Ribeirão Preto, a city of over 700,000 inhabitants located about 300 kilometers from São Paulo, in a key agricultural hub.

Carlos Rodrigues, a 66-year-old retiree, told AFP, “I have lived here for 32 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Authorities hoped that the rain that fell on Sunday would help alleviate the severity of the situation.

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Residents of a wealthy neighborhood had to evacuate their homes as the flames drew closer, according to the news site “G1.”

Several videos shared on social media showed Ribeirão Preto plunged into darkness from Saturday afternoon, with thick smoke visible and strong winds blowing.

Two factory workers died on Friday in Ourinhos, in the northern part of the state, while battling a fire.

Flights were canceled, and roads were cut off due to the fires, which have destroyed crops and led to livestock deaths.

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An Embraer KC-390 aircraft, a Brazilian Air Force transport plane converted into a water bomber with a capacity of 12,000 liters, arrived in Ribeirão Preto late Saturday into Sunday.

However, according to Minister Marina Silva, “the plane has not been able to operate yet due to the smoke.”

She lamented, “This gives an idea of the scale of the problem.”

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Smoke clouds were seen on Sunday in many other Brazilian cities, including the capital, Brasília (center-west).

According to satellite data collected by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), São Paulo state is experiencing its worst August in terms of fires since records began in 1998, with 3,480 fires identified.

This number is more than double the figure recorded last year.

The Lula government attributes this situation to climate change.