Wildfires have erupted across sugarcane fields in the northern part of São Paulo state in Brazil, causing widespread devastation and impacting local communities. On Saturday, thick clouds of smoke blanketed nearby towns, leading officials to prohibit outdoor activities.
In the city of Ribeirão Preto, a critical region in the northeast of São Paulo state, a soccer match of the Brazilian championship was canceled due to the ban on outdoor sports. Reduced visibility forced the closure of several state highways, and local television broadcast harrowing images of cattle that had perished in the fields from heat and smoke inhalation.
Farmer Silvio Dantas, 56, stood helplessly on his scorched land as a column of gray-white smoke rose on the horizon. “The firefighters are unable to control the flames. We can’t do anything,” he lamented. “The fire has burned plants, destroyed houses, and killed cattle. This is very tough.”
The São Paulo government announced that 36 cities were on “high alert” due to the fires that have spread during the peak of the dry season when fields are parched and temperatures soar. “We are chartering planes to spray water in addition to fire department aircraft,” said São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, who has established an emergency task force to combat the situation.
Tragically, two firefighters lost their lives on Friday in Urupês, near Ribeirão Preto, while trying to extinguish flames at a sugar mill where 200 hectares of sugarcane plantation were destroyed. Raízen, the world’s largest sugarcane processor, reported halting operations at one of its plants in Sertãozinho since Thursday due to the fires affecting the sugarcane fields.
Even São Paulo City felt the impact as smoke filled the sky on Friday, though it had cleared by Saturday. The ongoing wildfires continue to challenge firefighting efforts and pose significant threats to agriculture, infrastructure, and local populations in Brazil’s southeastern regions.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
