In Brazil, forest fires have engulfed
30 cities in the state of Sao Paulo. The fires broke out amid recent
days of dry and hot weather. Not only forests and grass with bushes
burned, but even the infrastructure of cities. More than 10,000 houses were set
on fire throughout the state. The regions most affected were Aracatuba, Ibitinga,
Sao Carlos, Barretos, Ribeirão Preto and Franca. Fires and thick smoke forced several roads in
the region to be completely or partially closed. The flames even directly reached the city of Sao
Paulo, with more than 11 million inhabitants. Heavy smoke enveloped everything
around, reducing visibility to zero. The state government warned that the fire
could spread quickly due to gusts of wind. The number of hectares of natural vegetation
burned has not yet been calculated, but this figure will certainly be large. Authorities and firefighters have been raised
to the maximum alert level and are fighting the fire disaster.