Brazilian army joins fight to put out Amazon fires

President Jair Bolsonaro has made tens of thousands of troops available to extinguish the fires after they gained world attention. The Brazilian Amazon saw 30,901 fires in August, the highest for the month since 2010.

Novo Progresso: Soldiers and firefighters in Brazil's Nova Fronteira region joined forces on Tuesday to combat one of the many fires that have consumed large swaths of the country's Amazon rainforest.

President Jair Bolsonaro has made tens of thousands of troops available to help extinguish the fires after they gained world attention.

He also passed a decree banning most fires for land-clearing for a period of 60 days, although he later limited the ban to the Amazon.

According to the country's National Institute for Space Research, the Brazilian Amazon saw 30,901 fires in August, the highest for the month since 2010.

The numbers have drawn international criticism over the government's approach to environmental issues and its pro-business agenda, and seem to be eroding Bolsonaro's popularity at home.

Fires are set annually in Brazil, and some are legal.

But the rate surged this year, leading to speculation that ranching and other business interests eager to expand holdings were emboldened by the president's economic development campaign.