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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 16th 2025 - 08:00 UTC

Tag: wildfires

  • Wednesday, February 5th 2025 - 07:57 UTC

    Argentine Patagonia wildfires man-caused

    Accelerants were detected where the fires are believed to have started

    Argentine authorities determined that the fires currently ravaging through the Patagonian enclaves of El Bolsón (Río Negro) and Epuyén (Chubut) were arson. The announcements were made after the sites of the initial outbreaks were found and accelerants were detected. Governors Ignacio Torres (Chubut) and Alberto Weretilneck (Río Negro) pledged to investigate the matter and hold those responsible accountable.

  • Tuesday, October 8th 2024 - 09:30 UTC

    Second firefighting aircraft lands in Bolivia

    “We are attacking fires by land and air, sparing no effort or resources to protect our population, our flora, and fauna,” said Arce

    A second four-engined turboprop Electra tanker aircraft arrived in Bolivia Monday to join the firefighting efforts against wild flames hitting various parts of the country, particularly Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where the Viru Viru International Airport was closed for hours due to poor visibility.

  • Monday, September 30th 2024 - 09:09 UTC

    Greenhouse emissions surge in Brazilian Amazon due to fires

    “When the forest burns for the first time, it becomes more susceptible to other fires,” Alencar explained

    A study released by the Climate Observatory showed that the blazes from June to August this year emitted 31.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere, which resulted in greenhouse gas emissions soaring 60% interannually, Agencia Brasil reported this weekend. The figure is close to the total emitted by Norway in one year (32.5 million tons), it was also explained.

  • Thursday, September 26th 2024 - 14:37 UTC

    Eleven people arrested in Argentine province of Córdoba for starting wildfires

    Quinteros stressed that 99% of the fires were man-caused

    At least 11 people have been arrested in the Argentine province of Córdoba for their alleged involvement in starting the current which elicited President Javier Milei's presence late Wednesday. Córdoba Security Minister Juan Pablo Quinteros has already admitted that “fires, in 99% of the cases, are started by human hands.”

  • Tuesday, September 17th 2024 - 16:52 UTC

    Brazilian physicians worried about respiratory damage caused by widespread fires

    Facemasks do not filter smaller pollution particles and are therefore rather useless, Dalcolmo explained

    Respiratory disease specialists are concerned about people suffering the effects of long-lasting forest fires in several parts of South America's largest country and insist children and the elderly need special attention, Agencia Brasil reported. Excessive smoke in the air coupled with a dry climate has caused discomfort to many, Brazilian Society of Pneumology and Physiology (SBPT) President Margareth Dalcolmo warned.

  • Tuesday, September 10th 2024 - 08:41 UTC

    Virtual schooling adopted in Paraguayan areas hit by wildfires

    A Brazilian team was deployed to keep the flames from reaching the Pantanal, a geographic region comprising stretching across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay

    Paraguayan education authorities decided on Monday to cancel on-site classes in areas affected by heavy smoke and switch to virtual schooling in areas hit by forest fires such as Alto Paraguay and Boquerón.

  • Monday, September 9th 2024 - 13:27 UTC

    Heavy smoke from Bolivian fires threatens large parts of Argentina

    A cloud of thick smoke is expected to reach Buenos Aires between Monday and Tuesday

    A large cloud of smoke stemming from wildfires in Bolivia threatens to cover the skies of 15 Argentine provinces and even reach the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) between Monday and Tuesday, due to which “phenomena that may represent inconveniences or difficulties in the normal development in social life are expected,” according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN).

  • Monday, August 26th 2024 - 10:27 UTC

    Arson suspected: Lula holds emergency meeting to address unusual number of fires

    The unprecedented number of fires in São Paulo is believed to have been caused deliberately

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Sunday held an emergency meeting with Environment Minister Marina Silva to discuss the crisis triggered by a large series of fires in the state of São Paulo and elsewhere believed to be the result of arson. Two suspects were arrested this weekend.

  • Tuesday, February 6th 2024 - 11:04 UTC

    Argentina: Nahuel Huapi National Park joins list of places affected by wildlfires

    The fire originated at the mouth of Arroyo Cretón, in an area that can only be accessed from the lake, Madjinca explained

    While wildfires in Argentina's Los Alerces National Park in the province of Chubut are far from being under control and the situation in Chile keeps getting worse by the hour, a new fire has been reported in the Nahuel Huapi National Park covering the skiing resort of Bariloche with smoke.

  • Saturday, July 1st 2023 - 07:03 UTC

    Fearing forest fires and bad air quality, Canada cancels fireworks display.

    On Friday, cities including New York, Toronto, Montreal and Washington DC were near the top of a list of major cities with world's worst air quality.

    Persistently bad air quality over North America and worries about sparking more fires has led to the cancellation of some Canada Day firework displays. There were also concerns over air quality around next week's Fourth of July celebrations in the US.

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