During the month of September, countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Bolivia have faced forest fires aggravated by drought conditions and worsening air quality in the region. Satellite data analysed by Brazil’s space research agency, Inpe, have recorded 346,112 fire outbreaks so far this year in the 13 countries of South America, surpassing the previous record of 345,322 outbreaks in 2007 in a data series dating back to 1998.
Scientists say that while most of the fires are caused by humans, recent hot and dry conditions driven by climate change are helping the blazes spread more quickly. The highest number of fires this month are in Brazil and Bolivia, followed by Peru, Argentina and Paraguay, according to Inpe data. Unusually intense fires that swept through Venezuela, Guyana and Colombia earlier in the year contributed to the record but have since faded.
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