Hundreds march in Sao Paulo demanding climate action as Brazil faces devastating wildfires: Video

The country is grappling with some of the worst wildfires in recent history, driven by the most severe drought seen in over 70 years.

In southern Brazil, the fires have claimed lives and pushed dozens of cities into a state of high alert. The combination of extreme heat, prolonged dry conditions, and strong winds has made containing the fires a monumental challenge for authorities.

Millions of acres, particularly in the Amazon rainforest, have been consumed by flames, marking this year as the worst for Amazon fires in nearly a decade.

Indigenous firefighter Aramiri, 49, expressed his frustration over the lack of action. “The situation has started to get worse. I’ve been fighting since 2013, and since then, we’ve been warning about these climate issues, but people didn’t want to listen to us. Now, they’re scrambling to catch up, but it’s already too late. We need to strengthen ourselves today,” he told AFP.

The fires are affecting residents far beyond the immediate fire zones. Thairine Moreno, a 36-year-old biologist from Santo Andre, Sao Paulo, shared her concerns: “I’ve been worried for a long time, but the recent drought and the inability to breathe because of the fires, seeing the sky turn black, has made me even more anxious.”

Retiree Ivan Donnarummo Vieira, 61, added, “I’m elderly, and there are many elderly people in overcrowded hospitals, along with children who are getting sick because they can’t breathe.”

The Brazilian government has launched efforts to address the crisis. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced on social media that the Federal Police have opened 52 investigations into those responsible for the fires. On September 15, Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino authorised the federal government to allocate additional funds to combat forest fires and hire more firefighters.