President Lula monitors countrywide wildfires, ensures support to the states

On August 25, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the monitoring center at the National Center for Forest Wildfires Prevention and Combat (Prevfogo), part of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) headquarters in Brasília, to monitor the situation of wildfires in São Paulo, Pantanal and the Amazon. Approximately 3,000 firefighters across the country are working to put out the fires.

"We have not detected any lightning-caused fires, which suggests that the fires in the Amazon, Pantanal and São Paulo have been set by people," said the president during a meeting with the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, and Federal Government representatives.

Lula intends to attend the weekly meeting on the wildfires at the Office of the Chief of Staff, which gathers representatives from over 20 ministries. Governors from the affected states will also be invited. "The Federal Police will investigate and the government will collaborate with the states to fight the wildfires," he said on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

Minister Marina Silva described the situation in São Paulo as "atypical." According to the São Paulo state government, 21 cities are battling active wildfires this Sunday, with 46 municipalities in total on high alert. "It's unusual to have multiple wildfires in São Paulo within such a short period, especially across so many municipalities simultaneously," Marina stated.

"People must stop setting fires. Even if state and municipal governments, along with private entities and the Federal Government, have all the resources at their disposal, it will be impossible to contain the fires if individuals continue to ignite them during periods of high temperatures, low humidity and winds reaching up to 70 km per hour," she emphasized.

INVESTIGATION — The director-general of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodrigues, stated that two investigations are underway to determine whether the wildfires in São Paulo were set intentionally. "We have mobilized all 15 local police stations and our regional superintendence, coordinated by the Amazon and Environment Directorate in Brasília, to investigate the circumstances surrounding these wildfires in the state," he explained. The Federal Police are also investigating the causes of the fires in the Amazon and Pantanal regions.

"We must understand what is going on. When it comes to criminal action, it will be punished with all the rigor that the law offers us," said Marina Silva.

PREVENTION — Since last year, the Federal Government has been actively working to prevent fires across the country. “Had we not been prepared since 2023 to address these wildfires, we would be facing a very challenging situation. By reducing deforestation by 50% in the Amazon last year and by 45% this year, we've averted an even worse scenario,” the minister said.

EQUIPMENT — In response to a request from the São Paulo State Government, the National Civil Defense coordinated with the Federal Government to mobilize support for combating fires and monitoring the affected areas. The operation involves the deployment of two Pantera aircraft, a Cougar aircraft, a Super Cougar aircraft, an SH-16 and a KC-390 equipped with a water-dropping system. Additionally, the effort includes seven water trucks, 21 vehicles (trucks, buses, emergency vehicles, etc.) and a team with engineering equipment. A total of 424 military personnel are actively engaged in the region.