One of the detainees is a 42-year-old Sao Paulo resident who works as a car mechanic. When he was arrested by the military police, they confiscated a bottle of gasoline, a lighter and a mobile phone, on which a video of the fire was later found. The suspect was taken to the police temporary detention center.
On Saturday, the Sao Paulo government declared a state of emergency in the state amid worsening wildfires. The decree covers 45 municipalities, 21 of which are experiencing active spread of the fire. In total, specialists identified 2,621 points of the most serious fires using satellite images.
Brazilian Armed Forces aircraft and helicopters have been deployed to extinguish the fires. In the municipalities affected by the fire and smoke, educational classes, sports and other public events have been cancelled. In the busiest areas of the cities there are points with free drinking water.
