SAO PAULO (AP) — Wildfires burning in Brazil’s southern state of Sao Paulo have killed at least two people, authorities said Saturday, and at least 36 cities are on alert.
Sao Paulo state Governor Tarcisio de Freitas said local and federal authorities were stepping up efforts to put out the fires.
The fire is raging in areas on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, one of Latin America’s most populous cities with more than 11 million residents.
At least 7,300 government workers and volunteers have been deployed across the state “to try to stop the fires from progressing and to put them out,” De Freitas told reporters. He warned that strong winds could fan the flames, which have been fueled by heat and drought.
The city was largely unaffected by the fires, but videos posted on social media showed smoke filling the skies over the countryside and trees burning along the highway.
The government said two workers at the factory in the city of Wolpes died while fighting the blaze on Friday but gave few other details.
The region has been hit by its worst wildfires in decades, with 4,973 fires this year alone, according to local news outlet Folha de S. Paulo.
