Brazil’s Amazon Has Highest Number of Fires for June in 14 Years
- Fires rose 2.7% compared to last June amid drought conditions
- Environment minister recently quit and is under investigation
Fire burns in the Amazon rainforest in Rondonia state, Brazil, in 2019.
Photographer: Leonardo Carrato/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Brazil’s Amazon in June recorded the highest number of fires for the month since 2007 with the government’s environmental track-record and policies coming under growing scrutiny.
Fire incidents rose 2.7% to a total of 2,308 “focus points” from the same month a year ago. When compared to 2019, it recorded a 22.8% surge, according to data collected by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, called INPE.