Brazil's Amazon: Fireman 'saving what's not burnt'

Brazil's Amazon is experiencing another year of forest fires. It’s not just the Amazon that’s gone up in flames – the world’s biggest wetlands, the Pantanal, home to rare species like the jaguar, has seen its worst fires in more than two decades.

The fires are linked to growing deforestation - trees are felled and then the land is burned as a cheap and easy way to clear the area for agricultural use. The state of Para is the worst-affected area when it comes to deforestation

The Brazilian government this year brought in some early measures to curb the number of fires. It imposed a 120-day ban on fires and deployed the army to badly-hit areas. But, at the same time, President Bolsonaro has declared the fires a lie. His vice-president also told the BBC that the forest was not burning.

South America correspondent Katy Watson accompanied Corporal Carlos Rodrigues of Pará State Fire Department as he rushed to put out blazes.

Producer Jessica Cruz

Camera Moises Zeferino

Editor Greg Brosnan