Bolivia Battles Record Wildfires, with Worst Likely Ahead

Bolivia is grappling with a record number of fires in the first seven months of the year, satellite data showed, as the flames send villagers fleeing, kill wildlife and char the landscape. Diesel shortages across the country are further complicating firefighting efforts by making it more difficult to reach remote areas and tackle the blazes, local charities said.

Bolivia registered roughly 17,700 fire points from January through July, the most ever seen in that period in the country, according to data from Brazil’s space research agency Inpe, which monitors fires in all of South America. There have been a record number of monthly fire points in Bolivia for three consecutive months through July, according to Inpe.

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