Ibama determines the collection of firefighting brigades | Nature

The decision comes less than a month after Environment Minister Ricardo Salles said that operations to combat illegal deforestation in the Amazon and burning in the Pantanal would be suspended by blocking funds. Ibama is subordinate to the ministry.

Hours later, however, Salles was overruled by the Vice President of the Republic, Hamilton Mourão, who said that “the minister was in a hurry” and the money would not be blocked.

The circular that determines the suspension of works is signed by the Head of the Prevfogo / Dipro Specialized Center, Ricardo Vianna Barreto.

“I determine the collection of all the IBAMA Forest Fire Brigades to their respective Bases of origin, starting at 00:00 hours (zero hour) on October 22, 2020, where they must remain awaiting operational action orders in field “says the document.

Burns in the Amazon and Pantanal

The suspension of firefighting works comes shortly after fires in the Amazon and Pantanal hit record highs this year.

Data from the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) show that the number of fire outbreaks registered in the Amazon from January to September of this year was the highest since 2010. That year, there were 102,409 fire outbreaks in the forest from 1 January to January 30. September; in 2020, in the same period, they were 76,030.

In the case of the Pantanal, also according to Inpe, 14% of the biome burned only in September. This is also the largest annual devastation of the territory caused by fires since the beginning of the measurements, in 2002, by the federal government. The area reached in the year reaches almost 33 thousand km², which is equivalent to the sum of the territory of the Federal District and Alagoas.