Live in the Amazon around the fire | The h …

The fire continues to devour the Amazon. The Brazilian government has deployed a military operation to put out the spotlight, after receiving strong criticism for delaying actions to fight against countless projectors. Pope Francis asked that the fires "be controlled as soon as possible" and the Argentine volunteer firefighters volunteered to fight the fire.

The Brazilian government has finally sent two Hercules C-130 military planes to extinguish the fires that devoured the Amazon a few days ago. The fire affects seven of the nine states in the Brazilian legal Amazon, an area encompbading nine Brazilian states, where 43,000 soldiers are permanently stationed and are now available to extinguish the fire. States, they asked the federal government to send more troops.

The Ministry of Defense of the neighboring country said that the planes had already started throwing thousands of gallons of water on the flames of the city of Porto Velho, in the state of Rondonia, located north western Brazil. This area, where half a million people live, is one of the most affected by llamas and the city's inhabitants live wrapped in a layer of smoke that covers the region.

"I have been living here for 20 years and have seen many fires, but this smoke in recent days, I've never seen anything like it," said Welis da Claiana, a 25-year-old girl living in Porto Velho. "The smoke hit 100% of our daily lives, we woke up tired of breathing smoke," he lamented.

Da Claiana, who works in a car rental company, said her business had been affected by the fires and that she had also forced the cancellation of flights at the local airport. "The visibility was horrible, nobody could do anything," he lamented, pointing out that the "big farmers" are at the origin of the fires.

The 25-year-old also said she closed the windows of her house to protect herself from the smoke. However, she was forced to take her daughter to the hospital because she had trouble breathing.

Deliana Amorim, another resident of Porto Velho, warned that the fires "are increasing every year". In the same vein as Da Claiana, he said the fire was caused by deforestation by large farmers to raise livestock or cultivate. "People's consciousness does not increase," lamented Amorim.

"I woke up in the middle of the night because of the brightness and noise and alerted my wife," said Aurelio Andrade, a 65-year-old farmer who owns a small farm in Porto Velho. This man, owner of nearly 50 cows and some chickens fear that the advance of fire will harm their animals or those of their neighbors. "We are very saddened because if this fire reaches them (the neighbors) or ourselves, we run out of animals," he said.

The farmer said that when he reached the properties of the area, "it will be very difficult to extinguish the fire". "Only God could do it," said Andrade.

The Amazon, which covers an area of ​​more than 5 million square kilometers, covers eight countries and is home to 20% of the world's fresh water. In addition, this tropical forest is the ecosystem with the greatest diversity of fauna and flora. He lives about 10% of all known species.

Ecological organizations warned that recurring fires and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest would have "deep" consequences not only for the rainforest but for "the whole world". More than half of the 79,513 fires recorded in Brazil this year took place in the Amazon and 1,130 started between Friday and Saturday.

The Chief of the Unique Coordination of Operations (CUO) Volunteer Firefighters, Gustavo Nicola, said that 360 firefighters were available to help fight fires in the Amazon. "They are volunteer firefighters from all over the country, mainly from the provinces of Córdoba, Santa Fe, Entre Rios, Mendoza and Tucumán. We get minute by minute the name of several firefighters available, I think we will exceed 400, "he said.

However, despite the large number of volunteers, Nicola said that the Ministry of National Security only requested the collaboration of 20 brigades during this first stage. "Unfortunately, all the help we made available for the fires in the Amazon was not sent because only a contingent of 20 firefighters left," he said.

Among the firemen who will go to Brazil, 12 are from Córdoba and 8 from Santa Fe. "The people summoned have experience in the field of forest fires. Everyone is trained and trained to fight this type of fire, "said Nicola.

Although they still do not know the exact destination, the chief of the CUO said that they would be traveling the first days of this week. "We prepare the documentation for each firefighter. Today, they have been vaccinated against rubella, hepatitis, tetanus and yellow fever, rigorous vaccines against travel, "he said.

For his part, Pope Francis expressed his concern over the fires and said that the Amazon is "a vital forest lung" for the planet. "We are all concerned about the vast fires that have occurred in the Amazon, and pray that all efforts will be made to control them as soon as possible," he said after the Angelus prayer.