Firefighters in Brazil are grappling with a significant wildfire in Brasilia National Park, situated just outside the capital. This blaze, the largest the city has encountered this year, has already consumed approximately 1,200 hectares (4.5 square miles) of the park’s 30,000-hectare area.
The fire comes as Brasilia experiences an unprecedented 145-day dry spell. In response to the escalating crisis, Supreme Court Justice Flavio Dino has authorized the government to exceed spending limits to combat what he termed a “fire pandemic.” Dino, who previously served as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s justice minister, argued that the severity of the situation justifies overriding accounting rules not enshrined in the Constitution.
Recent data from the National Institute for Space Research reveals a dramatic increase in fires this September, with 55,517 incidents reported compared to 46,498 during the same period last year. Most of these fires are attributed to human activities, particularly agricultural practices, and the situation is exacerbated by the country’s worst drought in seventy years, a phenomenon linked to climate change.
The resulting smoke has affected air quality in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and has even spread to parts of Argentina and Uruguay. The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation continues to work through the night to contain the blaze and mitigate further damage.