Amazonas Wildfires Send Smoke Over Manaus as Officials Probe Possible Arson

Overview

• The Cacau Pirêra fire, which began on Wednesday, Sept. 30, burned about 441 hectares and sent a visible smoke column into Manaus before crews reported roughly 80% control.
• A separate wildfire in Itacoatiara has burned for more than a week, affecting about 830 hectares in hard-to-access varzea terrain and continuing to degrade local air quality as it approaches rural homes.
• Corpo de Bombeiros Militar do Amazonas mobilized large forces — at times more than 130 firefighters and multiple vehicles — and activated police, environmental agencies and federal teams to fight the blazes.
• CBMAM commanders say field analysis found trees cut and left to dry in Cacau Pirêra, prompting criminal inquiries by Ipaam and police using aerial imagery and on-the-ground checks to identify responsible parties.
• Separate fires in Bahia and Minas Gerais destroyed commercial property and 30 hectares of vegetation but caused no injuries, and regional officials warned that El Niño–linked dry conditions raise fire risk and forbid use of fire during the emergency period.