RIBEIRAO PRETO: The Brazilian government is deploying military aircraft to tackle wildfires devastating Sao Paulo state, with over 40 cities under high alert, announced Regional Development Minister Waldez Goes on Sunday.
Four planes, including a KC-390 Embraer capable of dropping up to 12,000 liters of water, will be initially mobilized to fight the fires and monitor affected areas.
Ribeirao Preto, a city with over 700,000 residents located 300 km from Sao Paulo, is among the most severely impacted. Social media videos depict the city engulfed in thick smoke, plunging it into near darkness.
“It’s apocalyptic. Lots of wind, lots of smoke — you can’t even see the city. And it is 5:00 pm,” one video user, wearing a protective mask, commented. Two factory workers in Urupes, in the northern part of the state, died on Friday while battling the blaze.
In response to the crisis, the Sao Paulo governor has declared a state of emergency across 45 towns and cities.
