Fires in Amazon rainforest rage at record rate

The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is experiencing a record amount of fires this year -- more than 74,000 outbreaks so far -- which is an 84 per cent increase from the same period in 2018, according to data from the country's space agency.

The National Institute for Space Research (IPNE) said it detected more than 74,000 fires between January 1 and August 20 -- the highest number since records began in 2013. According to the agency, it observed more than 9,500 forest fires since last Thursday, mostly in the Amazon region.