MANAUS COVERED BY SMOKE FROM BURNED FOREST

Text and first photo as reported in www.oeco.org.br

Manaus, AM - Manaus sky begins October in the same way that ended September: covered in smoke. The dense fog appeared about a week covering the Sun on the horizon and reducing visibility on the streets of the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is caused by forest burning in areas near the city, according to the National Institute of Space Research ("INPE")). The fire, in fact, punishes the State as ever.

Until Sunday (04th October),  11,439 fire hotspots had already been registered in the Amazon this year, against 7,543 in the same period last year, an increase of 51%.  There are still nearly three months for the year's over, and  the record of records has already been  beaten in just one year in the state of Amazonas.  The bad news continues in the first days of October, with 399 registered outbreaks.

There are a large number of fire outbreaks in the metropolitan region of Manaus and nearby municipalities. Two municipalities in the area under the influence of the BR-319 (the 'ghost road'; see photo) were among the record holders in the State of Amazonas  in the period from 01 to September 29.

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Fires in the Amazon are growing in recent years; from 2012 the State recorded more hotspots than the srate of Rondônia. The lack of control occurs precisei in the year in which the State Government dismantled the environmental management system with deep cuts in the Secretary of Environment. But the weather isn't cooperating.

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