Ministry of Environment calls attention to increased forest fires

In eight months, the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), a research unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), registered more than 53 thousand outbreaks of forest fires and fire, corresponding to an increase of 65 % In relation to the previous year.

A video produced by the Ministry of the Environment and released on YouTube channel Portal Brasil warns of the importance of avoiding fires during the dry season, in which it is more difficult to control fire.

According to a story on Portal Brasil, the El Niño phenomenon, which began in October 2015, is reducing the volume of rainfall in the region and, consequently, making the forests more susceptible to fires. This event is associated with the heating of the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which alters the winds and rainfall regime in much of the planet.

In addition to compromising soil quality in the long term, causing the death of several animals and destroying the environment, burnings and forest fires threaten health. May cause shortness of breath, inflammation of the respiratory tract, pulmonary necrosis and intoxication. Anyone who has been exposed to smoke should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

See below a special report made by Portal Brasil that warns about the permanent risks to Brazilian fauna and flora: