Four people have been arrested amid a plague of wildfires in Brazil’s São Paulo state, which authorities believe have been deliberately set.
The head of Brazil’s National Office for Protection and Civil Defence, Wolnei Wolff, told the BBC that the record number of blazes – 5,281 so far in August, compared with 1,104 in the same month a year ago – could not simply be accounted for by lightning strikes or downed high voltage cables.
Marina Silva, the country’s environment minister, agreed that the situation was “unusual,” given the large number of blazes simultaneously breaking out in different locations.
[See more: Madeira wildfire threatens Laurisilva Forest, a UNESCO heritage site]
The BBC reports that the fires have so far claimed two lives and that more than 20,000 hectares, including extensive sugarcane fields, have been razed.
Officials say the fires are spreading rapidly owing to high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity currently prevailing, with smoke polluting the air over several cities – including the national capital Brasilia.
Authorities have not speculated on a motive for those accused of setting the fires.
