According to an official report, Wildfires ravage 20% of Brasilia Forest for two days and destroyed 20% of a forest near the Brazilian capital, enveloping the city in clouds of grey-white smoke. The National Forest of Brasilia is a conservation area covering 5,600 hectares of woods. It protects the springs that supply 70% of the city’s freshwater. The fire broke out during the peak of the dry season when vegetation is parched and temperatures are high, causing flames to spread rapidly.

The officials said four individuals have been arrested on suspicion of starting fires that devastated thousands of hectares of sugarcane crops in Brazil’s northern state of Sao Paulo. The wildfire spread quickly over the weekend through parched fields at the height of the country’s dry season in a region that had not seen rain in months. The wildfires ravage 20% of Brasilia Forest, leaving clouds of smoke hanging over adjacent cities, restricting outdoor activities and disrupting traffic and airport operations owing to poor visibility.

“We have put out three of the four blazes and hope to have the fire under control by the end of the day,” said Fabio dos Santos Miranda, the forest’s manager.

“We are sure this was an environmental crime, but we haven’t confirmed if it was intentional or not,” he said in an interview, adding that three suspected arsonists were seen in the area where the fire started.

Firefighters tried to keep the woodland fire from spreading to nearby orchards where farmers cultivate tomatoes and flowers. “We are working to protect the orchards, but the wind blows the fire towards them, and the sparks fly a long way.” Major Godoy, a firefighter, commented.

Emilia Vasconcellos, who farms cattle and hens on a property at risk of being trapped in the fire, believes individuals started the fire to clear land for themselves, but she has no evidence.

The forest was nearly cut in half in 2022 to make way for urban expansion by the far-right regime of former President Jair Bolsonaro, which lowered environmental rules and enabled deforestation to ramp up in the Amazon rainforest.

Government data released on Sunday showed that record dryness in the Amazon boosted rainforest fires in August to their worst level since 2010.

Last year’s rains arrived later and were weaker than usual due to a weather phenomenon known as El Nino. This phenomenon was exacerbated by climate change, making the rainforest particularly vulnerable to this year’s flames.

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