The ongoing seasonal drought and adverse weather conditions such as high wind are hindering firefighters' efforts to put out a wildfire that has been raging in Brazil's Mato Grosso for over half a month.
The state of Mato Grosso, one of the regions worst-affected by wildfires burning across the Amazon, has declared a state of emergency as over half of the state's cities and towns have reported fire emergencies.
In Chapada dos Guimaraes, one of the regions subject to emergency mandate, swathes of forests and farmlands have been burned.
"We have been putting out fires here for 17 consecutive days. About 14 kilometers of the fire line have been suppressed. The vegetation is tall and dense, so it is not easy for us to carry out firefighting. The wind also makes it more difficult for us to extinguish fire," said Robson Luiz, director of Chapada dos Guimaraes' Administrative Department and Municipal Civil Defense.
As the existing resources are inadequate to support the firefighters to work long enough at a fire spot to guarantee a full extinguishment, they had move on to the next spot after clearing leaves and tree branches to contain the fire within a restricted area.
In addition, the seasonal drought that has led to a significant drop of water level has also hindered the firefighters' efforts.
"The water level of the Paraguay River has been dropping, along with the dry season across the state and adverse weather conditions, such as high temperature, low relative air humidity and strong winds. These factors have accelerated the spread of forest fires. Once there is a fire, it will expand quickly, which will be difficult to control," said Felipe Saboia, commander of the environmental emergencies battalion in Mato Grosso.
Drought, windy weather worsen wildfire in Brazil's Mato Grosso
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
