Fires in São Paulo: Arrests Made

This Aug. 26 story has been corrected to fix the location of fires to São Paulo, not north of Brazil, in paragraph 1.

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Four men have been arrested on suspicion of setting fires that have destroyed thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations in the northern Brazilian state of São Paulo, the government announced on Monday.

The fires spread rapidly over the weekend through parched fields during the peak of the country’s dry season in a region that has not seen rain for months. Clouds of smoke enveloped nearby cities, restricting outdoor activities and disrupting highway and airport operations due to low visibility.

Causes of the Fires
Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas stated at a press conference, “We had an explosive combination of three factors: high temperature, very strong winds, and very low relative humidity in the last few days. So, anything could cause an ignition.”

Three suspects were arrested in the region with containers of gasoline to start fires, while a fourth man was apprehended on Monday while setting fire to grass. Federal police are investigating the matter for suspected arson.

Wider Impact
The dry weather has heightened the occurrence of wildfires across Brazil this year, including in the Amazon region. Environmental experts attribute the doubling of fire incidents this season to higher temperatures from climate change and extensive deforestation.

In Xingu Park, Chief Megaron Txucarramae has urgently called for assistance to control a fire ravaging Brazil’s most renowned Indigenous reservation. “Help! Send firefighters and planes that throw water,” he urged on television.

Governor Freitas reported no new fires in the sugarcane fields but noted that dozens of towns remain on high alert for potential blazes. Classes were canceled in Ribeirao Preto, a city heavily affected by the smoke.

Freitas estimated the damage to agricultural crops from the fires at over 1 billion reais ($182 million).

São Paulo is the largest sugar-producing state in Brazil, which is the world’s leading producer and exporter of sugar.

Brazil’s largest sugar group, Raizen SA, announced that it resumed operations at its Santa Elisa mill on Sunday after evacuating the plant on Thursday due to nearby fires.

Note: ($1 = 5.4968 reais)