Reuters · October 14, 2026

1,679 Fires Recorded in Brazil's Amazonas State in First Two Weeks of October

• There were 1,679 fires in Brazil's Amazonas state in the first two weeks of October, a 253% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the country's Amazon surveillance system, as reported.
• States of emergency were declared in at least 36 municipalities across Amazonas, according to the report.
• Public schools closed on Wednesday in Manaus, the state capital, and outdoor events there were cancelled because of poor air quality from the fires, according to the report.
• Brazil's federal government and civil defense sent aircraft and brigade crews to Amazonas over the weekend, according to the report.
• Environment minister João Paulo Capobianco flew over the state on Sunday; his ministry said fires inside protected forest point to deliberate arson and promised an investigation, according to the report.

Fire counts are from Brazil's Amazon surveillance system, as reported by Reuters; the ministry's arson account is as stated by the ministry, as reported by Reuters. No response from any party accused of setting fires is documented in the source. This card is based on the accessible portion only. Original headline: "Fires surge in Brazil's Amazon, fueled by El Niño and climate change".