São Paulo government creates crisis cabinet to fight fires August 24, 2024

Governor of São Paulo flies over areas affected by the fires - Photo: Divulgação/Governo de SP

Published on 24/08/2024 - 10:28 By Pedro Peduzzi - Agência Brasil Reporter - Brasília

São Paulo government creates crisis cabinet to fight fires

Roads are closed and 30 municipalities are on high alert

The intense fires ravaging the interior of São Paulo have led the local government to create a crisis cabinet to manage actions to monitor and control the situation. According to the Civil Defense Emergency Management Center (CGE), there are active fires in 30 cities, so a high alert for large fires has been established in these locations.

“These are places with low air humidity and high risk due to the heat wave affecting the entire state,” the state government said in a statement. There is a risk that these fires will be enhanced by gusts of wind, affecting large areas of natural vegetation and emitting “dense, toxic smoke that harms the environment and human health, causing problems with the respiratory system and cardiovascular disorders”.

The smoke has spread to various areas of the state and there are records of relative humidity below 20%, as well as very intense heat - which is further damaging the situation. According to the São Paulo government, two employees of a mill in Urupês died while trying to fight a fire.

Some large fires led the local government to close some highways, which ended up having a “significant” impact on traffic in several regions. Leaflets have been issued suggesting that drivers avoid certain routes and constantly update themselves on traffic conditions along the way before hitting the road.

“The main recommendation is to avoid crossing areas with curtains of smoke and fire. If this is not possible, reduce your speed, keep your headlights on, and keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead,” says the São Paulo government.

The municipalities on high alert for fires are: Alumínio, Araraquara, Bernardino de Campos, Boa Esperança do Sul, Dourado, Iacanga, Itápolis, Itirapina, Jaú, Lucélia, Monte Alegre do Sul, Monte Azul Paulista, Nova Granada, Piracicaba, Pirapora do Bom Jesus, Pitangueiras, Poloni, Pompeia, Pontal, Presidente Epitácio, Sabino, Salmourão, Santo Antônio da Alegria, Santo Antônio do Arancanguá, São Bernardo do Campo, São Simão, Sertãozinho, Taquarituba, Torrinha and Ubarana.

Editing: Valéria Aguiar

Editor 2: The Green Amazon News Ana Lucia Cunha-Busch