Ibama extinguished 229 fires in Amazonas

The spread of wildfires in the Amazon has led the federal government to expand prevention and firefighting actions against forest fires in the region. According to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), 229 fires have already been extinguished in the state since the beginning of the current critical period. Teams from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) continue to combat 20 other active fire hotspots in Amazonas and are carrying out prevention and monitoring actions. To reinforce operations, the ministry mobilized 290 specialized firefighters and announced the dispatch of six more aircraft. The reinforcement includes four Air Tractor planes, used to drop water over areas hit by fire, and two helicopters for logistical support and transporting teams in hard-to-reach regions. The actions are coordinated by the Multi-Agency Integrated Center for Federal Operational Coordination (Ciman Federal), responsible for coordinating the work of federal and state agencies in monitoring and fighting the fires. In September, at the request of the Amazonas state government, Ciman Federal activated firefighters from the Project for Response in Integrated Actions for Disaster Situations (Respad) and an aircraft from the Aircraft Management Project for Emergency and Rescue Situations (Pegasus). The mobilization was reviewed days later, when rains helped reduce the fire hotspots and the state government reported that the Respad team would not need to be deployed. In addition to emergency actions, the MMA reported that it had advised the Amazonas government on procedures for requesting funds through the National System of Civil Protection and Defense (Sinpdec), a mechanism used to expand response capacity in emergency situations. One of the main projects developed for forest fire prevention and firefighting actions is ProAmazon, funded by the Amazon Fund with R$ 45 million.