São Paulo Wildfires Extinguished but High Alert Remains as Damage Surpasses 1 Billion Reais

A severe wave of wildfires has ravaged the state of São Paulo, Brazil, affecting 56 municipalities and burning over 20,000 hectares. The National Secretary of Protection and Civil Defense, Wolnei Wolff, stated that 99.9% of the fires were caused by human action, leading to at least 31 Federal Police investigations into possible arson cases.Governor Tarcísio de Freitas announced on Monday that all active fires have been extinguished, but authorities remain on high alert due to the risk of rekindling. ‘We made the reconnaissance this morning and the remaining focuses (…) have already been extinguished. There are no active focuses in the state of São Paulo,’ he said to Globonews.The situation has been described as ‘anomalous’ and ‘atypical’ by officials, with suspicions of coordinated criminal activity. Three to four people have been arrested in connection with the fires. The damages are estimated at over 1 billion reais (USD 180 million).Environmental experts attribute the rapid spread of the fires to severe drought, low humidity, and strong winds, partly caused by climate change. Ane Alencar, director of science at the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia (Ipam), described the situation as ‘a perfect storm for wildfires’.The fires have also affected other regions of Brazil, including the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal wetlands. The smoke from the fires was visible in several cities in other regions of Brazil, including the capital Brasilia.Authorities have mobilized significant resources to combat the fires, including helicopters, aircraft, and around 500 Brazilian Army soldiers. Despite the current containment, officials warn that the risk remains high, especially with forecasts of dry weather returning after two days of rain.

Key points

• 99.

9% of the fires in São Paulo were reportedly caused by human action, leading to multiple arson investigations.

• All active fires have been extinguished, but authorities remain on high alert due to the risk of rekindling.
• The fires have caused damages estimated at over 1 billion reais (USD 180 million).
• Environmental experts attribute the rapid spread to severe drought, low humidity, and strong winds, partly caused by climate change.

Contradictions👾While most sources report three arrests related to the fires, one source mentions four arrests.

This discrepancy might be due to different reporting times or inclusion criteria.