Fire at Alter do Chão Controlled as Crews Sweep for Hotspots

Overview

• The fire started near Ilha do Amor on Friday, Oct. 30 and advanced about 2.5 kilometers before brigades and firefighters contained the main fronts.
• Teams from local brigades, Borari indigenous leaders, the Corpo de Bombeiros and federal agencies have stayed on site to extinguish smoldering roots and trunks that could rekindle.
• Ibama and ICMBio deployed aircraft and helicopters to drop water while drones have been used to map the burned savanna and guide the varredura rescues.
• Police and environmental inspectors opened an investigation because the blaze began in green forest, a fact that officials say raises suspicion of deliberate ignition.
• Authorities estimate roughly 60 hectares burned, far less than 2019 losses, and have warned residents to limit smoke exposure especially for children, the elderly and people with respiratory illness.