Firefighters have been battling wildfires spreading through a national park in Brazil and choking the capital, Brasilia, in smoke.
More than 490 firefighters on Monday were trying to extinguish blazes that have already burned through 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) of the Brasilia National Park conservation area. It’s just the latest of many wildfires in the country, which is experiencing a historic drought.
There are four main fire fronts, all concentrated in the eastern region of the park, according to a statement from ICMBio, the government agency that manages the park.
Three aircraft are using water to tackle the flames, and a helicopter is helping to monitor the burned areas, the ICMBio statement said.
The fire “spread very quickly because of wind speed, low humidity, and it is very hot,” said Joao Paulo Morita, an ICMBio fire management coordinator.
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