Several municipalities in Amazonas registered air quality ranging from moderate to very poor on Tuesday morning (27). The data was provided by the Electronic Environmental Surveillance System (Selva), belonging to the State University of Amazonas (UEA). Meanwhile, Manaus maintained moderate air quality across all platform sensors.
This atmospheric condition is directly linked to the forest fires occurring in the state. The Fire Panel recorded a total of 2,330 fire hotspots in Amazonas during the last month.
Itapiranga presented the highest concentration of pollutants, with the Selva sensor indicating 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). In Itacoatiara, the index was 107.6 µg/m³, classified as poor. Other locations also showed high levels of particles: Nhamundá registered 80.2 µg/m³, and Urucurituba reached 77.1 µg/m³, with air quality classified as very poor in these two municipalities.
Efforts to Combat Fires
On Monday (26), military personnel from the Military Fire Department of Amazonas (CBMAM) traveled to Parintins to intensify the fight against forest fires. The corporation reported that teams will specifically work in the rural area of the municipality. Furthermore, the firefighters received new equipment and materials to support operations, including a pickup kit designed to facilitate fighting in hard-to-reach areas.
Possible Impact of Pará Burns on Amazonas
The governor of Amazonas, Roberto Cidade, warned on Monday (26) that the burns happening in southern Pará could carry smoke to Amazonas in the coming days. He mentioned that the fire hotspots are mainly concentrated in the Itaituba region, located near the border between the two states.
During a press conference, Cidade stated that the government of Amazonas plans to contact the government of Pará to discuss strategies for containing the fires. Although he emphasized that the arrival of smoke would not be immediate, it could affect Amazonas in two or three days. The governor stated: 'A large part of where the burning is happening is in southern Pará, it is there in Itaituba, on the border with our state, there in Lower Amazonas. We are already working so that we can do our part here in our state, but I will also ask with our team to contact the government of Pará.'