Our biggest rainforest, Amazon, is on fire right now for the 19th day. The wildfires – roaring in an area of around 2254 sq. kilometres – are so big that columns of smoke can be seen from space. The Sky in SĂŁo Paulo went dark on Monday at around 3 pm as the smoke from the fires reached the city. Residents have not experienced a similar phenomenon before; not even in the darkest days of the rainy season.
At the same time, forests in Siberia are on fire too. In Russia the unusually hot and dry summer caused the forests to start burning now for the third month in a row. The smoke from the fires is affecting the health of the local citizens. Due to poor air quality in the near cities and regions, many people have visited hospitals for hacking coughs, stinging eyes and other related symptoms. Scientists have also warned that the soot from the fires can deposit on Arctic ice and speed up the melting process, witch could lead to faster rising of the sea levels.
Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical forest on Earth. It produces 20% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, and is often called âThe lungs of Earthâ. Amazon has long been fire-resistant due to itâs natural moisture and humidity, so, according to NASA, the cause for the wildfires are assumed to be drought and human activity.