12/09/2024 – 21:31
A fire that started on Monday, the 9th, continues to destroy vegetation in Serra das Cabras, in the Campinas region, in the interior of São Paulo. 120 hectares of forest have already been consumed (an area equivalent to 140 football fields), according to the Campinas Civil Defense. As of Thursday, the 12th, at least six fires remained. Firefighters were still working to combat them.
A 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting the fires and, according to police, he denied the accusation, but claimed to be “out of control” after the death of his 12-year-old son. A private area where an astronomy museum operates was hit by the fire, but at the time of publication of this report there were no details about the damage.
Serra das Cabras is located on the border between the district of Joaquim Egídio, which belongs to Campinas, and the municipalities of Morungaba and Itatiba. A large part of the mountain range is part of an Environmental Protection Area (APA), and the most famous section is known as Pico das Cabras, located at an altitude of 1,080 meters. The peak is in Joaquim Egídio, and its area is home to the Jean Nicolini Municipal Observatory, which belongs to the city of Campinas, and the private Open Museum of Astronomy.
According to the city of Campinas, the observatory was not hit. Pico das Cabras Park, where the museum is located, was damaged, but there are no details about the damage. On Wednesday, the 11th, the museum’s profile posted a long text on social media thanking the Fire Department, the city of Campinas and other agencies for their help in fighting the flames, in addition to giving a general account of what happened.
“We worked to preserve the structural environments of the Park, Museum and areas near the forest. Despite our efforts, the fire reached a large part of the surrounding vegetation. Our feelings of pain are enormous,” reads an excerpt. The report attempted to contact the museum administration and is awaiting a response.
On Tuesday, the 10th, a 47-year-old man was arrested while driving along a highway where there were fires, carrying two bottles of flammable substances, burlap sacks and other materials used to set fire to vegetation. Taken to the 12th Police Precinct in Campinas, he denied being responsible for the fires and stated that he was on that stretch of road because he used to go for walks there with his 12-year-old son, who died in April from meningitis.
He also said that since his son’s death he has been out of control, including because he has testicular cancer. On Wednesday he was subjected to a custody hearing and his arrest was changed to preventive. The young man is suspected of causing several fires in the region.
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