Three suspected arsonists arrested for setting fire to farmland in Brazil By Reuters

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Three men have been arrested on suspicion of arson that destroyed thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations in northern Sao Paulo state, its governor, Tarcisio de Freitas, said on Monday.

The fires spread rapidly over the weekend across parched fields at the height of Brazil’s dry season in a region that has not seen rain in months. Clouds of smoke blanketed nearby towns, where outdoor activities were restricted and highway and airport operations were disrupted due to low visibility.

“We’ve had an explosive combination of three factors: high temperature, very strong winds and very low relative humidity in the last few days. So anything could cause an ignition,” Freitas told a news conference.

He said three men were arrested in the region and suspected of starting the fires. Local media said they were caught with petrol containers.

In Ribeirao Preto, a city in the worst-hit region of western Sao Paulo state, school classes were canceled on Monday.

The governor said there were no new fires in the sugarcane fields, but dozens of towns were still on high alert for other fires.

Freitas estimated the damage to agricultural crops from the fires at more than 1 billion reais ($182 million).

São Paulo is the largest sugar producing state in Brazil, the largest producer and exporter of the sweetener in the world.

Brazil’s biggest sugar group, Raizen SA, said it had resumed operations at its Santa Elisa mill on Sunday. The plant had to be evacuated on Thursday because of the fire’s proximity.

($1 = 5.4968 reais)