Smoke from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-24-die-in-australia-bushfires-prayforaustralia-trends-on-twitter-272293">bushfires</a> raging across Australia reached Brazil on Tuesday, an arm of the National Institute for Space Research said on Twitter.

Referring to satellite images, the agency's Department of Remote Sensing said the smoke had arrived in Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul.

Private meteorological company MetSul also tweeted about the arrival of a smoke cloud to Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, but emphasized that "the presence of smoke from Australia in the air is almost imperceptible, despite the satellite showing smoke in the atmosphere over the great Porto Alegre."

Chile's meteorological service said Monday that smoke from the fires was visible in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/strong-68-magnitude-earthquake-off-chile-coast-252706">Chile</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-goal-gives-argentina-1-0-win-over-brazil-262481">Argentina</a>. 
 
Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australian-bushfires-smoke-travels-through-south-america-272919/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">That means the hazy cloud of smoke, sitting at about 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) in the air, traveled more than 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) to reach South America.</div>

But the drifting smoke won't negatively affect the health of the continent's inhabitants, the Chilean service said.

Fires ravaging Australia since September have left 24 people dead and destroyed some eight million hectares (80,000 square kilometers) of land&nbsp;an area the size of Ireland or the US state of South Carolina.

After a catastrophic weekend, Australian firefighters supported by US and Canadian forces welcomed rain and a drop in temperatures to boost their efforts early in the week before another heat wave is expected in the coming days. &nbsp;

Reserve troops have been deployed to help throughout the country, and the government has earmarked an initial Aus$2 billion ($1.4 billion) for a national recovery fund for devastated communities.

Smoke from bushfires raging across Australia reached Brazil on Tuesday, an arm of the National Institute for Space Research said on Twitter. Referring to satellite images, the agency's Department of Remote Sensing said the smoke had arrived in Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul.

Smoke from bushfires raging across Australia reached Brazil on Tuesday, an arm of the National Institute for Space Research said on Twitter. Referring to satellite images, the agency's Department of Remote Sensing said the smoke had arrived in Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul. Private meteorological company MetSul also tweeted about the arrival of a smoke cloud to Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, but emphasized that "the presence of smoke from Australia in the air is almost imperceptible, despite the satellite showing smoke in the atmosphere over the great Porto Alegre." Chile's meteorological service said Monday that smoke from the fires was visible in Chile and Argentina. Watch: That means the hazy cloud of smoke, sitting at about 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) in the air, traveled more than 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) to reach South America. But the drifting smoke won't negatively affect the health of the continent's inhabitants, the Chilean service said. Fires ravaging Australia since September have left 24 people dead and destroyed some eight million hectares (80,000 square kilometers) of land an area the size of Ireland or the US state of South Carolina. After a catastrophic weekend, Australian firefighters supported by US and Canadian forces welcomed rain and a drop in temperatures to boost their efforts early in the week before another heat wave is expected in the coming days. Reserve troops have been deployed to help throughout the country, and the government has earmarked an initial Aus$2 billion ($1.4 billion) for a national recovery fund for devastated communities.

Smoke from Australia bushfires reaches Brazil

The fires that burned through the Amazon rainforest last month sparked international outcry and offers of help, but as world leaders meet in New York, the planet's largest rainforest remains engulfed in flames.

The latest satellite data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) shows 131,600 fires burning since January within the country, where 60 per cent of the Amazon lies.

The fires, which are mostly caused by humans with the goal of clearing land for farming and cattle ranching, are having a grievous effect on the forest: the rate of deforestation in the Amazon has nearly doubled since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro came to power on January 1, with the equivalent of 110 football fields of land being cleared every hour.

"It's sad to see Brazilians attacking me for fires in the Amazon as if they hadn't always existed," Bolsonaro wrote on Facebook Thursday.

We "remain below the average of the last 15 years. But I'm accused of being a Nero, who sets fires everywhere."

Yet fires are at a seven-year high, according to INPE data, and despite a slight drop at the start of the month, the number of active fires recorded in Brazil from the start of the year to September 19 was up 56 per cent over the same period in 2018. Nearly half of the blazes are in the Amazon.

Bolsonaro is a climate change sceptic, but last month he sent soldiers to help put out fires in the Amazon region after Brazil came under criticism at the G7 summit, with the host French President Emmanuel Macron among the most outspoken detractors.

Under that deployment, which was renewed Friday for another month, nearly 7,000 soldiers and 16 aircraft are fighting both the flames and "deforestation and illegal mining," Brazil's defence ministry said.

'I'm going to get hit'

Marcio Astrini, a Greenpeace official in Brazil, said the deployment is making little difference.

"We did a lot of fly-overs. We did not see anything happening on the ground, apart from the deforestation that is progressing. It's tragic," he told AFP.

Experts sent by the United States, logistical equipment from Japan, and four aircraft from Chile are all fighting the blazes, while firefighters sent from Israel have departed, the defence ministry said.

Bolsonaro, however, has blanched at other international offers to help put out the fires, rejecting $20 million from the G7 and accusing members France and Germany of "buying" Brazil's sovereignty.

On Monday, Macron will launch a "call for mobilization" on the Amazon together with his counterparts Sebastian Pinera of Chile and Ivan Duque of Colombia during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Brazil won't attend the meeting, but Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, also a climate change sceptic, will appear at the UN's climate summit on Monday, before travelling to Europe.

On Tuesday, Bolsonaro will make the opening speech at the UN General Assembly, in which he is expected to focus on the Amazon.

"I am preparing a rather objective speech, unlike my predecessor," he wrote on Facebook, adding, "I'm going to get hit, you can be sure. The media always finds something to complain about."

No end in sight

Environmental groups have little faith that Bolsonaro will change tack.

The government "wants to show that it is doing the best for the forest. In fact, it is doing its utmost for deforestation," said Greenpeace's Astrini.

"Brazil is running a campaign to show that it is taking care of the Amazon. It's a lie," he said.

And there's little to suggest that the fires are abating.

Between September 18 and 19, the number of forest fires in Rondonia state jumped to 242 from 12 just the day before, an increase of 1,915 per cent, according to the INPE.

Fears are also rising over the number of blazes in the Cerrado savanna, which account for a third of all the fires in Brazil.

And on Friday the World Wide Fund for Nature warned of an "emergency situation in the biome" of the Pantanal wetland.

Fires have risen 351 per cent since January in the Pantanal region, some 90 per cent of which were set illegally.

The fires that burned through the Amazon rainforest last month sparked international outcry and offers of help, but as world leaders meet in New York, the planet's largest rainforest remains engulfed in flames.

The fires that burned through the Amazon rainforest last month sparked international outcry and offers of help, but as world leaders meet in New York, the planet's largest rainforest remains engulfed in flames. The latest satellite data from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) shows 131,600 fires burning since January within the country, where 60 per cent of the Amazon lies. The fires, which are mostly caused by humans with the goal of clearing land for farming and cattle ranching, are having a grievous effect on the forest: the rate of deforestation in the Amazon has nearly doubled since far-right President Jair Bolsonaro came to power on January 1, with the equivalent of 110 football fields of land being cleared every hour. "It's sad to see Brazilians attacking me for fires in the Amazon as if they hadn't always existed," Bolsonaro wrote on Facebook Thursday. We "remain below the average of the last 15 years. But I'm accused of being a Nero, who sets fires everywhere." Yet fires are at a seven-year high, according to INPE data, and despite a slight drop at the start of the month, the number of active fires recorded in Brazil from the start of the year to September 19 was up 56 per cent over the same period in 2018. Nearly half of the blazes are in the Amazon. Bolsonaro is a climate change sceptic, but last month he sent soldiers to help put out fires in the Amazon region after Brazil came under criticism at the G7 summit, with the host French President Emmanuel Macron among the most outspoken detractors. Under that deployment, which was renewed Friday for another month, nearly 7,000 soldiers and 16 aircraft are fighting both the flames and "deforestation and illegal mining," Brazil's defence ministry said. 'I'm going to get hit' Marcio Astrini, a Greenpeace official in Brazil, said the deployment is making little difference. "We did a lot of fly-overs. We did not see anything happening on the ground, apart from the deforestation that is progressing. It's tragic," he told AFP. Experts sent by the United States, logistical equipment from Japan, and four aircraft from Chile are all fighting the blazes, while firefighters sent from Israel have departed, the defence ministry said. Bolsonaro, however, has blanched at other international offers to help put out the fires, rejecting $20 million from the G7 and accusing members France and Germany of "buying" Brazil's sovereignty. On Monday, Macron will launch a "call for mobilization" on the Amazon together with his counterparts Sebastian Pinera of Chile and Ivan Duque of Colombia during a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Brazil won't attend the meeting, but Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, also a climate change sceptic, will appear at the UN's climate summit on Monday, before travelling to Europe. On Tuesday, Bolsonaro will make the opening speech at the UN General Assembly, in which he is expected to focus on the Amazon. "I am preparing a rather objective speech, unlike my predecessor," he wrote on Facebook, adding, "I'm going to get hit, you can be sure. The media always finds something to complain about." No end in sight Environmental groups have little faith that Bolsonaro will change tack. The government "wants to show that it is doing the best for the forest. In fact, it is doing its utmost for deforestation," said Greenpeace's Astrini. "Brazil is running a campaign to show that it is taking care of the Amazon. It's a lie," he said. And there's little to suggest that the fires are abating. Between September 18 and 19, the number of forest fires in Rondonia state jumped to 242 from 12 just the day before, an increase of 1,915 per cent, according to the INPE. Fears are also rising over the number of blazes in the Cerrado savanna, which account for a third of all the fires in Brazil. And on Friday the World Wide Fund for Nature warned of an "emergency situation in the biome" of the Pantanal wetland. Fires have risen 351 per cent since January in the Pantanal region, some 90 per cent of which were set illegally.

As global leaders meet, the Amazon rainforest burns

Brazil's<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-says-claims-of-hunger-in-brazil-a-big-lie-237226"> President Jair Bolsonaro</a> vowed Saturday to combat "illegal deforestation," a day after the head of the agency that measures deforestation said he was being sacked after a row over the scale of the problem in the Amazon rainforest.

"We are going to act effectively in the fight against illegal deforestation," Bolsonaro wrote on his Facebook account, along with a video in which environment minister Ricardo Salles said the government would bring in new technology to measure deforestation with greater precision.

A day earlier, the head of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Ricardo Galvao, said he was being sacked after a row with Bolsonaro over deforestation.

Bolsonaro, a climate change sceptic, claimed the INPE figures "don't correspond to the truth" and were damaging to the institute and the country.

The president has previously floated the idea of opening up protected rainforest areas to agriculture, a highly controversial move given the existing level of deforestation.

"We cannot accept sensationalism or the disclosure of inaccurate numbers that cause great damage to Brazil's image," Bolsonaro said, reiterating comments from his row over the INPE figures.&nbsp;

The latest data released by INPE, an institution of international repute, shows that deforestation has increased 40 per cent in the last two months compared to the same period a year ago.

On Thursday, Bolsonaro, Salles and other ministers had refuted the INPE satellite data and said the methodologies for measuring deforestation would be changed.

The government admits <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/under-brazils-jair-bolsonaro-rule-amazon-deforestation-accelerates-239233#may-reach-its-tipping-point-239239">deforestation</a> has increased but insists it is not as great as indicated by the agency.

The sacking of Galvao fueled criticism from environmental groups.

"Bolsonaro knows that his government is primarily responsible for the current destruction of the Amazon. The dismissal of the director of INPE is nothing more than an act of revenge against those who show the truth," said Marcio Astrini from Greenpeace.

For many years, NGOs defending the environment and the territorial rights of indigenous people have criticized the agriculture industry and major landowners for constantly trying to expand into virgin lands, including those protected by law.

Bolsonaro, though, was helped in his election last year by support from the powerful agriculture lobby.

The president suffered a blow on Thursday when the Supreme Court cancelled a decree transferring the right to demarcate indigenous lands from the National Indian Foundation to the Ministry of Agriculture, a bulwark of the agriculture industry's interests. 
&nbsp;

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro vowed Saturday to combat "illegal deforestation," a day after the head of the agency that measures deforestation said he was being sacked after a row over the scale of the problem in the Amazon rainforest.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro vowed Saturday to combat "illegal deforestation," a day after the head of the agency that measures deforestation said he was being sacked after a row over the scale of the problem in the Amazon rainforest. "We are going to act effectively in the fight against illegal deforestation," Bolsonaro wrote on his Facebook account, along with a video in which environment minister Ricardo Salles said the government would bring in new technology to measure deforestation with greater precision. A day earlier, the head of Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Ricardo Galvao, said he was being sacked after a row with Bolsonaro over deforestation. Bolsonaro, a climate change sceptic, claimed the INPE figures "don't correspond to the truth" and were damaging to the institute and the country. The president has previously floated the idea of opening up protected rainforest areas to agriculture, a highly controversial move given the existing level of deforestation. "We cannot accept sensationalism or the disclosure of inaccurate numbers that cause great damage to Brazil's image," Bolsonaro said, reiterating comments from his row over the INPE figures. The latest data released by INPE, an institution of international repute, shows that deforestation has increased 40 per cent in the last two months compared to the same period a year ago. On Thursday, Bolsonaro, Salles and other ministers had refuted the INPE satellite data and said the methodologies for measuring deforestation would be changed. The government admits deforestation has increased but insists it is not as great as indicated by the agency. The sacking of Galvao fueled criticism from environmental groups. "Bolsonaro knows that his government is primarily responsible for the current destruction of the Amazon. The dismissal of the director of INPE is nothing more than an act of revenge against those who show the truth," said Marcio Astrini from Greenpeace. For many years, NGOs defending the environment and the territorial rights of indigenous people have criticized the agriculture industry and major landowners for constantly trying to expand into virgin lands, including those protected by law. Bolsonaro, though, was helped in his election last year by support from the powerful agriculture lobby. The president suffered a blow on Thursday when the Supreme Court cancelled a decree transferring the right to demarcate indigenous lands from the National Indian Foundation to the Ministry of Agriculture, a bulwark of the agriculture industry's interests.

President Jair Bolsonaro vows to fight 'illegal deforestation' in Brazil

The video was taken in the northern state of Maranhao and shows a man holding a large knife in the rainforest. He holds up the blade to his face before looking towards the person filming him. The video also shows spears amongst trees and bushes in the forest, indicating other tribe members were also present.

Rare Amazon tribe caught on tape in Brazil as loggers move in