Brazil continues to burn: fire destroys an environmental protection area in Alter do Chão, at the state of Pará, in the Amazon region

A major fire that struck an area of environmental protection in the Ponta das Pedras community in the municipality of Santarém, in Alter do Chão, one of Pará's main tourist destinations, prompted the government of the northern state of Brazil to urgently request that Northern Military Command send aircrafts and National Force reinforcements to assist in combat near the village of Alter do Chão.

The fire gained great proportions yesterday. Today, the forest known as Capadócia, struck by fire, is targeted by the Fire Department, in partnership with the Northern Military Command of the Brazilian Army. The fire has been controlled.

Meanwhile, fires in the Brazilian Midwest cause millionaire damage to farmers. Because of the burnings, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul declared an emergency situation hoping to receive more assistance from the federal government.

In this region affected by the fires is also located the Pantanal, the largest continuous floodplain in the world. Since January, Corumbá, the largest city in the Pantanal, has recorded over 3,100 fire outbreaks.