With almost 77% of the fire records for the entire month of August concentrated in just 12 days of September, and with the forecast of a historic drought in the rivers, the government of Amazonas declared an environmental emergency in municipalities in the south of the state and in the metropolitan region of Manaus.
The decree was made after pressure from municipal secretaries who denounced the risk of an increase in fire outbreaks and the precarious conditions to combat them. Secretaries say there is a lack of support from the state and federal governments to control the flames.
Since July, fires have increased in the state and, this month, with 4,127 fires until the 12th, Amazonas is at the top of the ranking of states with the highest number of fires, according to Inpe (National Institute for Space Research)
On the list of the ten municipalities with the highest number of fires in September are five cities in Amazonas. Second place in the ranking is Porto Velho, capital of Rondônia.
In the last two weeks, residents of the countryside have had crops and houses burned, classes suspended, and boat accidents on rivers, in addition to the loss of wild animals.
Translated by Cassy Dias