2020 Brazil wildfires facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2020 Brazil wildfires |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Brazil |
| Statistics | |
| Date(s) | July 2020 to present |
The 2020 Brazil wildfires were a series of large fires. They started burning in Brazil's rainforests in June 2020. These fires continued into September 2020. By August 2020, over 12% of the plants in the Pantanal rainforest had burned.
In June 2020, Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) used satellites to count the fires. They saw 2,248 fires. This was more than the 1,880 fires seen in June 2019.
Contents
Why the Fires Started
It is normal for some fires to happen in rainforests. Sometimes, lightning can cause them. But experts believe most of the 2020 wildfires were started by people. Satellite photos show that many new fires began near roads. These roads led into land where indigenous peoples live.
Dry Weather and Other Problems
Environmental scientists say that a time with very dry weather made the fires much worse. In 2020, Brazil had its driest weather in 50 years. Other experts think the COVID-19 pandemic also made things harder. Government groups were very busy with the pandemic. This meant they had less time to fight the fires.
A firefighter named Alexandre Pereira works in Mato Grosso do Sul. He said that more than 95% of the fires in his state were started by people.
Who Was Blamed
Carlos Rittl is an environmental expert from Germany. He said that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was partly responsible. Bolsonaro had encouraged people to use land for farming and mining. He also made Brazil's environmental agency, IBAMA, weaker. This made it harder for them to stop fires or punish people who started them.
President Bolsonaro said that the indigenous peoples started the fires. But pictures from spacecraft orbiting the Earth showed something different. The fires did not start on indigenous land. Bolsonaro has said he wants people to be able to start farms and mines. He wants them to do this on land that is legally protected for indigenous Brazilians.
How Fires Affected People
These fires were very bad for the indigenous people in Brazil. The fires burned up the food they usually eat. Smoke from the fires also spread into other areas. This smoke made people sick and harmed their health.
Related Pages
