Civil Defense: 99.9% of São Paulo fires caused by humans

The National Secretary for Civil Defense and Protection, Wolnei Wolff, stated that 99.9 percent of the fires recorded in the state of São Paulo over the weekend were caused by "human action." He also noted that the Federal Police have initiated at least 31 inquiries to investigate potential arson in the region.

At a press conference on Monday (Aug. 26), the secretary emphasized that the police will use satellite images to help determine the origins of the fires. “When the Federal Police suspect human involvement, they open an investigation and proceed accordingly,” he explained. “The investigation will ultimately determine [the outcome of each case],” he added.

Wolff described it as a "surprise" that nearly 50 municipalities in São Paulo reported fires simultaneously. He also cited two contributing factors to the situation over the weekend: the prolonged lack of rain in the state until Saturday (24) and winds reaching speeds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.

Reduction in outbreaks

Wolff reported that 56 municipalities in São Paulo were affected by the weekend fires. By Monday morning, he noted that only a few active fires remained in the state. He attributed this improvement to the high humidity from Sunday’s (25) rains, which were sufficient to extinguish most of the outbreaks.

“That doesn’t mean we’ll let our guard down,” the secretary said. “The remaining outbreaks, though few, are being addressed today,” he added. He highlighted the efforts involving helicopters, a KC-360 aircraft capable of carrying up to 12,000 liters of water per trip, and approximately 500 Brazilian Army personnel conducting firebreaks in the region.