Fires still erupting in Amazon; number of blazes in Brazil up 45 pc from 2018

Rio de Janeiro: Fires are still breaking out in Brazil's Amazon and Cerrado regions.The country's National Institute for Space Research published data pn Wednesday showing 7,457 fire alerts in the Amazon region and 8,012 in the Cerrado region in the first 10 days of September.

The number of fires in 2019 across Brazil has surpassed 100,000, which is about 45 per cent more than during the same period a year ago. The flames and smoke have disrupted life for many and attracted widespread attention in recent weeks.

The Amazon is considered particularly important for its absorption of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.