BRASILIA, SEPTEMBER 16 - The State of Parà, the second largest in the Brazilian Amazon, has requested the support of the army to fight an apparently malicious fire in an environmental reserve, where firefighters and groups of volunteers fail to tame the stake. Given the magnitude of the fire in the Alter do Chao reserve, local governor Helder Barbalho asked the government of President Jair Bolsonaro to send soldiers from the Northern Military Zone and troops from the National Public Security Force. The flames broke out last night due to a possible arson, said the mayor of Santarem, Nelio Aguiar.
"Police investigations are underway on some people who would be devastating the area and then selling lots of the environmental reserve," said the mayor.
Meanwhile, despite the increase in arson, the body in charge imposed 23% less sanctions than last year.