After days of criticism and a global outcry for action, Brazil's government has finally deployed troops and waterbombers to fight the unprecedented fires consuming the Amazon rainforest.
Getty Images | Carl De Souza
Brazil Finally Deploys Troops And Waterbombers To Fight Amazon's Fires
About 44,000 troops are on their way to six Brazilian states that requested help with the fires from the country's federal government.
In addition to the troops, the country has converted a C-130 Hercules to waterbombing duty, with capacity of 12,000 liters of water.
A Ministry of Defense video shows the waterbomber in action, dropping its payload over the smoldering jungle.
The move comes on the heels of pressure from leaders around the globe for Brazil's Bolsonaro administration to take action to fight the fires.
Twitter | @DefesaGovBr
With the G7 meeting in France as images of the Amazon rainforest in flames took over social media, leaders scolded Bolsonaro and threatened trade sanctions, even as they looked for ways to combine efforts to help Brazil and other Amazon nations battle the blazes.
Many blame Bolsonaro's loosening of environmental regulations for 2019's record fire year, with more than 80,000 fires now reported this year, an 85% increase compared to the same period of 2018, with Bolsonaro taking office in January.
Bolsonaro has placed the blame for the fires elsewhere.
After being presented with the year's fire data, Bolsonaro fired the head of the country's space research institute, INPE, and then blamed the "queimada," the season in which farmers burn land to clear it for agriculture.
He also blamed the increase in fires this year on nongovernmental organizations that started them, seeking to embarrass his government, without evidence.
Nevertheless, many countries and nongovernmental organizations have pledged both funds and resources to help Brazil and other Amazonian nations with the fires.
About 60% of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil, but fires rage throughout the jungle regardless of borders. Colorado-based Global SuperTanker Services has a plane working in Bolivia, where fires have already consumed about 3,475 square miles of rainforest.
The G7 leaders have pledged $22 million, primarily for waterbombers, although Bolsonaro is has been reluctant to accept outside help.
The scope of the problem makes it seem insurmountable.
NASA Earth Observatory
Conservationists and climate scientists fear if the Amazon loses 25% of its ecosystem, it could reach a tipping point after which it would be unable to recover, and would eventually die off and turn to savannah.
"Any one fire would take two or three of what we have," said Global SuperTanker's Dan Reese told Fox Business. "There are hundreds. The scope of the fire down here is immense and the resources available are limited."
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