Firefighters battle to control Amazon wildfires as police investigation launched

Firefighters battle to control Amazon wildfires as police investigation launched

Firefighters in Brazil battle to control wildfires spreading through the wetlands of the Amazon rainforest.

Firefighters in Brazil battle to control wildfires spreading through the wetlands of the Amazon rainforest.

The Brazilian Federal Police has launched an investigation to investigate whether the fires were started with the intention of creating pastures for livestock.

In a statement, the Federal Police reported that "Operation Matáá" aims to "clarify criminal responsibility in the fires in the southern Pantanal region." According to Brazil's National Institute for Space, there were 20,670 square kilometres of burned area in the Amazon in August.

This footage was filmed on September 14 in Manacapuru, northern Brazil.