Brazilian Amazon fires on rise amid growing deforestation

One year ago "Day of Fire", a day to intentionally ignite fires, triggered international outcry when number of wildfires in region of vo Progresso, a city in Amazon Region of Pará, h a massive spike.

Today, with burning season starting, region once again comes to national attention.

Preliminary official data published on August 7th shows that deforestation in Brazil's Amazon region over past 12 months could be at a 14-year high, ding to concerns that President Jair Bolsonaro has failed to rein in destruction of world's largest tropical rainforest.

For residents of vo Progresso, it's unfair that crimes of few are used to label people of a city built by hard-working ranchers.

"If re is an environmental crime committed by A, B or C, those people should t be taken as a stereo of all people from vo Progresso", said Nubia Macho, a local teacher.

Smaller ranchers like 59-year-old Joaquim da Silva said that y pay price of greedy ranchers that don't care about laws.

"All of us here, all our neighbours want ir piece of land and want to have it legally, and we care about environment. You can't cut it all down."

Brazilian Amazon lost 9,205 square kilometres (3,554 square miles) of vegetation in last months, according to data from country's ncy.

That was mainly due to a surge of fires in August and September last year.

overall loss was 34% greater than prior 12-month period.

data was produced by Brazil's Deter monitoring system, which provides daily deforestation alerts based on satellite ims.

Data from ar system named Prodes, which relies on more detailed satellite ims and records more of deforestation, will be released by yearend.

Both are ministered by Brazil's institute, which tabulates annual deforestation starting with August, when dry season starts and farmers and loggers tritionally start using fires to clear land.

Bolsonaro came to office promising to open more of Amazon to development, such as farming and mining. But international concern has led investors to try to distance mselves from deforestation and to pressure government to take more action against it.

Bolsonaro dispatched Army last year to combat Amazon deforestation and fires, and in May he stationed troops in several states ahe of so-called burning season.

Deter data for July registered a decrease from same month in 2019, when deforestation surged to highest monthly level since at least mid-2015.