The 2024 Amazon fires, which are far from over, are already the worst in 17 years, with highly toxic smoke from the blazes devastating the forest reaching cities thousands of miles away.
In the Amazon region, cities such as Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, and Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia, among hundreds of others, are covered in thick clouds of choking smoke, forcing residents to remain locked in their homes and affecting landings and takeoffs at major airports.
From January to the beginning of this week, 59,000 fires have already been registered in the Amazon, the highest number since 2008. Of these, 22,000 fires were registered in August alone, which is still ten days away.
To give you an idea of the growing scale of the tragedy, last August there were 12,000 fires registered in the region, which is a lot, but significantly lower than this year. Last year, as now, more than 90% of these fires that are destroying Brazil’s natural heritage, killing thousands of animals and endangering human lives were caused by humans, either by arson or by fires set to clear the soil that got out of control.
Brazil is experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history, and several rivers in the Amazon region With little water, air corridors that normally carry moisture from the Amazon to the rest of the country serve as a path for smoke. Clouds caused by the fires destroying thousands of giant trees have already reached at least ten of Brazil’s 27 states, including Rio Grande do Sul, nearly 5,000 km from the main fires, and Santa Catarina, 4,500 km away.
The gravity of the situation has environmentalists and more sensible authorities worried, because the period of drought and major fires usually begins in October, but this year it has unexpectedly been postponed. And no one can say whether the expectation of tragedy means that this year will also end earlier than in previous years, or whether it will represent a longer and more destructive period of devastation in the Amazon.
Author: Domingos Grilo Serrinha (Correspondent in Brazil)
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.