Fire destroys 520,000 hectares of Pantanal in Mato Grosso do Sul

State government figures reveal that fires have already burned 520,000 hectares in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul this year.

Firefighting efforts have been bolstered by the arrival of an additional National Force team in Corumbá, the city hardest hit by fires in the Pantanal. Firefighters from Rio Grande do Sul will join teams from other states and local crews, operating from 13 advanced bases spread throughout the biome.

This reinforcement is expected to reduce response times in combating forest fires. Since the action fronts were initiated in April, more than 400 military firefighters from Mato Grosso do Sul have been mobilized.

Fires are also being fought in Mato Grosso, a neighboring state that shares the Pantanal biome.