The Amazon rainforest has seen more than 80,000 fires sweep across its lush ecosystems this year, which, according to Brazil’s space agency INPE, marks an 80% increase over last year. The Amazon rainforest is home to 10% of all known species on Earth and soaks up vast amounts of carbon dioxide, which is essential to fighting global climate change.
In response, the Brazilian government has deployed some 44,000 troops to help fight the fires that have resulted in huge plumes of smoke blanketing the region, turning day into night in the Western Hemisphere's biggest city. The dramatic increase in fires has gained international attention as well, including from world leaders at the G7 summit in France who promised a $22 million aid package to help combat the fires, an offer Brazil quickly rejected.
“The Amazon forest is a subject for the whole planet. We can help you reforest. We can find the means for your economic development that respects the natural balance," French President Emmanuel Macron said. "But we cannot allow you to destroy everything.”
These photos show the total devastation left in the wake of fires that continue to rage in the Amazon rainforest.
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Brazilian farmer Helio Lombardo Do Santos and a dog walk through a burnt area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 26.
An aerial view of the Amazon forest in Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 23. The right side shows the forest calcined by the fires.
A tree stump glows with fire amid smoke near the city of Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 26.
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A section of the Amazon rainforest is decimated by wildfires near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 25.
A snake is left dead following fires in Rondônia, Brazil, Aug. 24.
A region of the forest is left burnt near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 26.
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Firefighters walk across charred land near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 25.
Soldiers combat forest fires in Roboré, Bolivia, Aug. 25.
Military firefighters stand in line to board a plane to Rondônia, Brazil, to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest, Aug. 24.
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An aerial view of burnt areas of the Amazon rainforest, near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 24.
A fallen tree glows red with embers near Abunã, Brazil, Aug. 24.
A tract of the Amazon rainforest is seen after a fire in Boca do Acre, Brazil, Aug. 24.
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A tract of the Amazon rainforest in Boca do Acre, Brazil, Aug. 24.
A fallen tree lies surrounded by charred ground near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 23.
Regions of the forest are left burnt near Porto Velho, Brazil, Aug. 24.
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A tract of the Amazon jungle in Boca do Acre, Brazil, Aug. 24.
Flames continue to burn on a toppled tree in Boca do Acre, Brazil, Aug. 24.
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Contact Gabriel H. Sanchez at gabriel.sanchez@buzzfeed.com.
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