Air quality worsens in Manaus this Friday (14); expert points out relationship with fires

Air quality worsens in Manaus this Friday (14); expert points out link with fire Air quality worsened in different areas of Manaus in the early hours of this Friday morning (14), according to monitoring by the Selva app. For specialist Rodrigo Souza, the fires recorded in the capital and in the Metropolitan Region may be related to the increase in the concentration of pollutants. At around 6 am, the Parque 10 de Novembro neighborhood, in the Central-South Zone, registered 37.8 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter of air), an index classified as moderate. The level is considered good when it is between 0 and 25 µg/m³. Other areas of the city also recorded moderate rates, represented by the color yellow in the monitoring system. In the West Zone, the region covering Ponta Negra and Tarumã recorded 34.1 µg/m³. In the Central-South Zone, the stretch between Chapada and Adrianópolis reached 33.3 µg/m³, while the Aleixo neighborhood recorded 30.4 µg/m³. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp In the South Zone, the area between Aparecida and the Center recorded 32.0 µg/m³. In the East Zone, the stretch between Coroado and Armando Mendes reached 26.4 µg/m³. Air quality worsens in Manaus this Friday (14) Reproduction/Application Selva Relationship with fires The worsening in air quality occurs amid the spread of fires in Manaus and in the municipalities of the Metropolitan Region. One of them hit the Iranduba landfill, on Thursday (13), hours before the worsening of air quality in the capital was recorded. The fire spread throughout the area and residents living nearby reported the situation. The Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM) confirmed the occurrence, but at the time, there was still no information about the causes of the fire, the extent of the affected area or the need to evacuate nearby residents. According to Rodrigo Souza, professor at the School of Technology at the State University of Amazonas (UEA) and specialist in air quality, smoke from fires around the capital can be transported by winds to the urban area. "Probably, yes [it is related to Iranduba]! Not 100% due to the fires in Iranduba, but it is related. Furthermore, there are fires around Manaus that also compromise air quality", explained the air quality specialist. Fires in 2026 According to data from the Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM), Manaus already records almost 1,200 fires in 2026. Forest occurrences have increased by more than 300% compared to the same period last year. In just the first two weekends of August, 223 fires were recorded in vegetation and forest areas in the capital. The smoke produced by fires in neighboring municipalities, such as Iranduba, and in vegetation areas around Manaus can be carried by winds to the urban area. As a result, the concentration of polluting particles in the atmosphere increases and can harm residents' breathing. READ ALSO: Three fires hit properties and vegetation in different areas of Manaus Fire hits an area of ??vegetation on Avenida Cosme Ferreira, in Manaus, and generates a 'cloud of smoke' in the region VIDEOS: Fire hits a store in the center of Manaus; responsible for building says fire started after short circuit Strong fire hits landfill in the interior of Amazonas Smoke could be seen on the horizon Sérgio Andrade