As Amazon rainforest burns, Brazil's President's shocker

Wildfires in Amazon rainforest in rrn Brazil have ignited a firestorm on social media, with President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday suggesting green groups started blazes.

Ims of fires purportedly devouring sections of world's largest rainforest have gone viral on Twitter. #PrayforAmazonas is top trending hashtag in world on Wednesday, with more than 249,000 tweets.

Official figures show nearly 73,000 forest fires were recorded in Brazil in first eight months of year highest number for any year since 2013. Most were in Amazon.

That compares with 39,759 in all of 2018, according to embattled National Institute for Research (INPE), which has been in Bolsonaro's cross-hairs since it released data showing a surge in deforestation in recent months. he of INPE, ncy tasked with monitoring forest clearing, was sacked over figures.

While it was t possible Wednesday to measure size of area affected by fires, thick smoke in recent days has blanketed several cities, including Sao Paulo, and caused a commercial flight to be diverted. Forest fires tend to intensify during dry season, which usually ends in late October or early vember, as land is cleared to make way for crops or grazing.

But WWF has blamed this year's sharp increase on accelerating deforestation in Amazon, which is seen as crucial to keeping climate change in check. "Historically, in this region, use of fire is directly linked to deforestation as it is one of techniques for tree clearing," WWF said in a statement.

Bolsonaro hit back on Wednesday, saying "criminal action by those NGOs, to call attention against me, against Brazilian government" following funding cuts may be reason for forest fires. "This is war that we are facing," Bolsonaro told reporters. " fires were lit in strategic places. All indications suggest y went re to film and start fires. That's what I feel."

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Bolsonaro's comments come as Brazil hosts a UN regional meeting on climate change in rastern city of Salvor ahe of December's summit in Chile. 25th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP25) was originally planned for Brazil, but country pulled out, citing impossible objectives. Speaking on sidelines of week-long workshop in Salvor, Environment Minister Ricardo Salles on Wednesday defended government's efforts to prevent illegal deforestation.

"All rules on illegal deforestation have been upheld, all strategies have continued to be enforced," Salles said. "Unfortunately both states and federal government suffer because of ecomic crisis, budget cuts, which hinders... enforcement operations."

forest fires have fuelled criticism of Bolsonaro's anti-environment rhetoric, which activists blame for emboldening loggers, miners and farmers in Amazon. rway joined Germany on Thursday in halting Amazon protection subsidies, accusing Brazil of turning its back on fight against deforestation. Worsening relations between Brazil and Europe has worried powerful agriculture sector, which fears a backlash from its key markets.

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