2019 Brazil wildfires

Wildfires in Brazil Amazon fire forest

The 2019 Brazil wildfires is the result of at least 75,336 wildfires occurred in the country since January 2019.[2]

2019 Brazil wildfires
VIIRS scan of the Amazon basin on August 20, 2019, depicting several wildfires and the smoke produced
LocationBrazil
Statistics
Date(s)January 2019 to present
Deaths2[1]

As of August 20, there are fires burning in the Amazon rainforest in four Brazilian states: Amazonas, Rondônia, Mato Grosso and Pará. At least 39,194 fires have been detected in Amazonas, which is the largest state in Brazil by area, and which has the "largest standing tracts of unbroken rainforest" in the world.

A state of emergency was declared by the government of Amazonas on August 11.[3][4]

The federal government and President Jair Bolsonaro claims that the data on the numbers are "fake" and refuses to help end the fires or allow other countries to help.[5][6]

In August, Bolsonaro said no one was allowed to set fires in the Amazon for 60 days. When someone wants to change rainforest land into a farm or other thing, first they cut down the trees and leave them there. Then they allow the land to dry. Then they set it on fire. So many of the trees were still killed because people could cut them down and wait to burn them until later.[7]

Wildfires were also a problem on the Cerrado grassland, a place with many rare plants and animals. 40% of its animals do not live in any other place on Earth.[7]

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References

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  1. Moreira, Rinaldo; Valley, Jamari (August 15, 2019). "Casal morre abraçado ao tentar fugir de queimada em RO" [Couple die hugged while trying to escape burnt out RO]. G1 (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  2. Rodriguez, Jeremiah (August 22, 2019). "As the Amazon burns, Brazil's president draws global outrage". CTV News. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. Paraguassu, Lisandra (August 20, 2019). "Amazon burning: Brazil reports record forest fires". Euronews. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  4. Irfan, Umair (August 20, 2019). "Amazon rainforest fire: Forests in Brazil, Greenland, and Siberia are burning". Vox. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  5. "Brazilian president says country lacks money to fight Amazon fires". The Telegraph. August 22, 2019.
  6. Phillips, Tom (August 22, 2019). "Amazon rainforest fires: Macron calls for 'international crisis' to lead G7 discussions". The Guardian. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Roland Hughes (October 11, 2019). "Amazon fires: What's the latest in Brazil?". BBC. Retrieved September 24, 2020.