Fires Affect Over 6,000 Hectares in Chapada dos Guimarães

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fires affect 6,180 hectares of the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park (MT), according to an estimate released yesterday, September 14th, by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).

The estimate was made based on hotspots. The park remains closed for visitation for an indefinite period.

The fires, which began to be recorded on July 15th, additionally affect 45,000 hectares in the vicinity of the National Park. According to ICMBio, there are 22 occurrences.

According to the institute, the park fires are under control. The site should remain closed until the beginning of the rainy season for safety reasons and for restoration of the environment.

The Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, located near Cuiabá, in Mato Grosso, has an area of 32,769, with savanna being the predominant vegetation.

Yesterday, September 14th, experts from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) landed in Chapada dos Guimarães. They are visiting the Xingu Indigenous Park in Mato Grosso, which has been also affected by the fire.

According to the Ministry of Defense, they will work in partnership with the employees of the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and ICMBio, in order to investigate the causes and origins of forest fires.

“It is a very specific type of investigation to determine whether the fires were started illegally or whether there was only one fire instigated by farmers. The USAID-Brazilian government partnership began in 1998, with the aim of improving the fire fighting system and preventing risks,” said the director of USAID, Ted Gehr, in a statement issued by the ministry.

The experts should start operating in the field from Sunday, September 15th, according to ICMBio.

Source: Agência Brasil