Smog Envelopes Brasilia as Fires Rage Across Brazil

Brazil's capital, Brasilia, has been shrouded in smoke the past two days due to wildfires raging across various regions, including the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado savannah, and the Pantanal wetland. "No fires caused by lightning were detected. This means that people are setting fires in the Amazon, the Pantanal, and especially in the state of Sao Paulo," said President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva while at the country's fire monitoring center on Sunday. He promised increased firefighting efforts and investigations.

This month, nearly 3,500 fire alerts were recorded in southeastern Sao Paulo state, the highest since 1998. Over 50% of these fires occurred on August 23, raising concerns they were part of a coordinated effort. A red alert was declared in 48 cities, though a cold front brought rain and cooler temperatures on Monday, extinguishing the fires, per the state government.

In Brasilia, air quality reached hazardous levels Sunday night, marking the first time the state agency declared a smog alert since its 2007 founding. While the wildfire count is unprecedented, per a researcher, the size of burned areas is 64% significantly larger this year as compared to the same period in 2023. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)