Wildfires Rage in Sugar Cane Fields in Brazil’s Southeast

Wildfires blazed through sugarcane fields in northern Sao Paulo state , sending up clouds of smoke that covered nearby towns so thoroughly that officials prohibited outdoor sports. A soccer match of the Brazilian championship was canceled due to the ban in Ribeirão Preto, a city in the most critical region in the west of São Paulo state. Some state highways were closed due to reduced visibility. Local television showed images of corpses of cattle that had died in fields from heat and smoke inhalation. “The firefighters are unable to control the flames. We can’t do anything,” farmer Silvio Dantas, 56, told Reuters, on his field as a column of gray-white smoke rose on the horizon. “The fire has burned plants, destroyed houses and killed cattle. This is very tough,” he said, The São Paulo government said 36 cities were on “high alert” due to fires that have spread at the peak of the dry season when fields are parched and temperatures high.

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