In the lowland Bolivian area of Santa Cruz, which is experiencing some of its worst wildfires on record, Nurse Raúl Gutiérrez reported that the stinging sting of Bolivia wildfire smoke rarely goes away, and the day has begun to appear almost like night.

The South American country is on track for a record year of flames, aggravated by drought and land clearances associated with expanding livestock and grain production, particularly in the rich farm city of Santa Cruz.

While the Bolivia wildfire has been burning for weeks, the smoke over cities such as Santa Cruz and Cochabamba has gotten worse in recent days.  The air pollution level on Wednesday was among the highest in the world.

“The smoke is constant and intense. We hope it passes, but there are no signs or chances of rain,” Gutiérrez said, adding that it was worst at dark, dawn, and midnight.

He also stated that an increasing number of individuals were experiencing breathing difficulties, eye problems, and headaches as a result of the smoke and that school courses had been cancelled.

“The sun practically has an orange hue; it looks just like the moon at night,” he stated.

Breathing in pollution from wildfire smoke can be fatal or cause long-term lung difficulties, according to a June study in the journal Science Advances, which found that it caused at least 52,000 premature deaths in California alone over a decade.

Satellite photos reveal dangerous levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide in the air. According to data from the Brazilian government’s INPE, Bolivia is on course to have the most active fires on record in September.

‘The Amazon is burning.‘ Diego Rojas, head of Santa Cruz City Hall’s Department of Water and Atmospheric Pollution, advised citizens to circumvent outdoor activities and wear face masks to protect themselves from smog.

“We’ve had five straight days with dangerous levels for the population,” stated a doctor.

The fires forced schools to close and some commercial flights to be cancelled. President Luis Arce has asked for international assistance and stated that the administration “will not stop” until the fires are extinguished.

Wilber Melgar, an Indigenous hamlet in the Beni region north of Santa Cruz that the fire has severely impacted, criticised ranchers for clearing enormous swaths of land for grazing, often using slash-and-burn methods.

“Right now, the Amazon is burning,” the politician stated.

Neighbouring Brazil is likewise having a disastrous start to the fire season, with blazes obscuring major towns and engulfing vast sections of the Amazon rainforest. The larger region is experiencing the most severe fires since 2010.

According to Alcides Vadillo, a Tierra Foundation researcher, Santa Cruz has lost approximately 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of forest in the last 20 years, which has resulted in more fires.

“(Last year), Santa Cruz was the most polluted city on the earth for one week. This year, it will happen again, causing direct harm to human health,” stated Vadillo.

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