Firefighters on Wednesday were able to reduce the scale of a major forest fire that lasted two days and destroyed 20% of the forest in the Brazilian capital, covering the city in gray clouds of smoke. According to officials, the fire could have been caused by arson. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
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The Brazilian National Forest is a 5,600-hectare protected area that protects springs that provide 70% of the city's freshwater supply. The fire broke out at the peak of the dry season, when vegetation is parched and high temperatures favor rapid fire spread.
“We have extinguished three of the four fire centers and hope to have the fire under control by the end of the day,” said Fabio dos Santos Miranda, forest manager.
“We are confident that it was an environmental crime, but it has not yet been confirmed whether it was intentional,” he added in an interview, noting that three arson suspects were seen in the area where the fire started.
Firefighters were trying to contain the forest fire and prevent it from spreading to neighboring orchards where farmers grow tomatoes and flowers.
“We are working to protect the gardens, but the wind is blowing in their direction and sparks are flying a long way,” said firefighter Major Godoy.
In 2022, the forest area was almost halved due to urbanization initiated by the government of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, which reduced environmental controls and allowed for increased deforestation in the Amazon.
A record-breaking drought in the Amazon has pushed the number of rainforest fires in August to the highest level since 2010, according to government data released on Sunday.