In a sign of growing concern over spreading forest fires in Brazil's northern Amazon jungle, the Army has taken command of fighting the fires.
As the fires entered the reserve of the Yanomami Indians, one of the world's last hunter-gatherer tribes, the Army was put in charge because of "its greater
operational capabilities," said Marcos Barros, head of the Government's Ibama environmental agency.
Fires are common this time of year in the Amazon state of Roraima as poor farmers burn their land before sowing. But extremely dry weather and hot winds blowing across the region's jungle and savanna have fanned the fires out of control this year.
In the past five days, satellites have detected nearly 686 hot spots across Roraima, most of which are believed to be fires, in an area the size of Britain.
The biggest city in the area, Roraima's provincial capital Boa Vista, had haze from the fires hanging over it yesterday.
