Emergency crews fight illegal fires in northern Brazil

Brazilian firefighters and soldiers tried to put out illegal fires in the northern state of Amazonas, as agricultural fires continue to burn through the world's biggest rainforest at an alarming rate, according to environmentalists using satellite data from Brazil's space agency, INPE, to track the destruction. A town in northern Brazil has been shrouded in smoke for several days as farmers increased the amount of fires lit in the area.

The fuel for the fires are trees felled to clear forest for farming and ranching. Environmentalists say the fires are also fueled by the lack of consequences for those who illegally seize land and clear it. Last year, the Amazon was devastated by tens of thousands of fires that sent a thick haze of black smoke 15,000 miles south to Sao Paulo, causing international outcry.