Burning season in Brasília saw over 700 hectares go up in smoke this weekend

The dry season is at its height in the central part of Brazil (“planalto central”) where the capital is located. It is very hot and extremely dry.

Last weekend the fire department reported 82 fires in the savannah (“cerrado”) that surrounds Brasilia, destroying 746 hectares.

Major Fontinelle, a fireman (“Corpo de Bombeiros”) says that this is the time of year when fires are common. “The temperatures are high, the air is dry and there is a lot of wind so fires spread rapidly.”

According to the weather bureau (“Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia – Inmet”), humidity in the Central-West region, as the planalto central where Brasilia is located is officially known, has dropped to 20%, with a daily temperature range between highs of 38°C and lows of 11°C.