Amid outcry over Amazon blaze, NASA images put African forest fires in spotlight
The Congo Basin forest is often considered the 'second green lungs for the planet'.
Washington: The Amazon forest which also referred to as the lungs of the earth isn’t the only massive forest area that is burning right now. There are more fires burning in the forests in central Africa.
NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) live map show forest fires in central Africa have created a huge area of red, stretching from the south of Congo all the way down to South Africa, engulfing the countries of Angola and Gabon in the process.
It is not yet known what the exact reason for these rainforest fires is. However, the Congo Basin forest is often considered the “second green lungs for the planet”.
It is said that these rainforests cover around 3.3 million square kilometres across several countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Congo and Cameroon. This rainforest is also home to many endangered species.