The intense fires that are ravaging the interior of São Paulo have led the local government to create a crisis office to manage monitoring and control actions for the situation. According to the Emergency Management Center (EMC) According to the Civil Defense, there are active fires in 30 cities, which is why a maximum alert has been established for large fires in these locations.
“These are locations with low air humidity and high risk due to the heat wave that is affecting the entire state,” the state government reported in a statement.
“There are risks of these fires being fueled by gusts of wind, reaching large areas of natural vegetation – in addition to emitting “dense and toxic smoke that harms the environment and human health, causing problems to the respiratory system and cardiovascular disorders.”
Smoke has spread across several areas of the state, and there are records of relative humidity below 20%, in addition to very intense heat – which further worsens the situation. According to the government of São Paulo, two employees of a plant in Urupês died trying to fight a fire.
Several major fires have led the local government to close some highways, which has had a “significant” impact on traffic in several regions. Alerts have been issued suggesting that drivers avoid certain routes and that they should check traffic conditions before heading out on the road.
“The main recommendation is to avoid crossing areas with smoke and fire curtains. If this is not possible, reduce speed, keep your low beam headlights on and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front,” says the note from the São Paulo government.
Maximum alert
The municipalities on high alert for fires are:
