Brazil arrests 63, levies $8.7 million in fines over fires

Brazil’s defense minister said on Monday 63 people were arrested and issued fines amounting to $8.7 million after the military was sent to fight raging fires in the Amazon rainforest. The announcement came as President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. Bolsonaro in August authorized the deployment of the military to the Amazon in an operation that was extended to October 24. Defense minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva emphasized that the number of fires recorded so far in September in the rainforest was 17,095, well below the historical average for September of 33,426, while acknowledging that concerns remained over fires burning in certain areas, specifically the center of the forest.