Brazil deploys 1,500 firefighters to Amazon fires

The Brazilian government has deployed nearly 1,500 firefighters to combat severe fires in the Amazon rainforest, worsened by the worst drought in decades.

Despite a decrease in deforestation since President Lula da Silva's January 2023 inauguration, satellite data reports 59,000 fires this year, the highest since 2008.

The fires have blanketed Porto Velho in smoke, affecting its 540,000 residents.

The "flying rivers" of moisture above the rainforest have been replaced by smoke, and devastating fires in the Pantanal wetlands have been exacerbated by human-caused climate change.

Environment Minister Marina Silva cited global warming and El Niño as factors.

Authorities have mobilized 1,489 firefighters and asked for fire bans in affected states.

The drought has led to record-low river levels and significant ecological impacts, with endangered species and forest ecosystems suffering. Recent studies warn that the Amazon’s resilience is weakening, raising concerns about irreversible damage to this crucial carbon sink.