At least two people died in forest fires in the southern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, local authorities announced last night. A high level of danger has been declared in at least 36 cities. Local and federal authorities are stepping up efforts to contain the flames, state governor Tarcisio de Freitas said, as quoted by the Associated Press and BTA.
The fires are raging in the area around the city of Sao Paulo, one of the largest megacities in South America, with a population of over 11 million.
At least 7,300 government officials and volunteers are deployed across the state “to contain and extinguish the fires,” De Freitas told reporters. He warned that the flames, fueled by high temperatures and drought, could be fanned by strong winds.
While the city as a whole was unaffected by the fires, videos on social media showed smoke-blackened skies over rural areas, as well as burning trees along a highway.
The government said two workers at an industrial site died trying to fight the flames in the town of Urupes on Friday, but did not provide further details.
According to the local newspaper “Folha de São Paulo“ the region is suffering from the worst forest fires in decades. The publication counted 4,973 outbreaks in the state this year alone.