Firefighters Contain Fires that Threatened Indigenous Reservation
9/2/98
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Title: Firefighters Contain Fires that Threatened Indigenous Reservation
Source: Reuters
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 9/2/98
Byline: William Schomberg
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian firefighters have contained fires that
threatened one of the country's most famous Indian reservations, thanks in
part to light rainfall, officials said Wednesday.
``The fires have been brought under control. Rain in the area was sparse
but it helped a lot,'' said Giovanni Cornacchia, head of a new forest
firefighting team at the government's Environmental Institute (IBAMA).
Brazil declared a ``red alert'' Monday as fires in dry farmland raced to
within six miles (10 km) of the Xingu National Park on the southern fringe
of the Amazon Basin.
Seventeen indigenous groups live in villages deep in the forested
reservation which is larger than Belgium.
More than 60 firefighters were rushed this week to the town of Sao Jose do
Xingu, in central Mato Grosso state, but a third group of 50 men was no
longer expected to travel to the area.
Light rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, combined with a change in
the direction of winds, meant the situation was under control, Cornacchia
said.
An official with the government's National Indian Foundation said no
damage had been done to the Xingu park. ``The fire did not enter the
perimeter,'' she said after speaking by radio with Indian representatives
in the Xingu park.
Fires were still burning in ranches around Sao Jose do Xingu and other
farming towns close to the park, but all were under control. Firefighters
were also close to putting out fires in the Boto Velho Indian
Reservation and the Araguaia National Park which lie about 60 miles (100
km) east of the Xingu park.
The Araguaia park suffered extensive damage last week by fires set by
ranchers and which raged out of control in extremely dry conditions. Other
fires have been reported in at least two other national parks in central
Brazil.
Environmental authorities say they will remain on full alert until the
rainy season begins in central and the Amazonian north in mid or late
September.
This year's dry season has been aggravated by the El Nino weather
phenomenon and the number of suspected fires spotted by satellites has
doubled from last year.
Earlier this year, fires in Roraima state, on Brazil's border with
Venezuela, destroyed a huge area of savannah and some rainforest,
prompting the government to set up a new system to prevent, detect and put
out fires in forest areas.
Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.