Fogos: November 2006

The Brasilian Lawnmower

Introducing the Brasilian Lawnmower

I became aware of the Brasilian Lawnmower in April of 2006.

It seems that manual, gas or electric lawnmowers are either impractical or too expensive. Either that or Brasilians just don't want to take the time to cut the grass!

So they invented the Brasilian Lawnmower.

I saw it in action for the first time on April 21, 2006. I saw this smoke across town so I walked over to investigate and was startled to see this sight in the middle of the town. A fellow was clearing the grass from a city lot.

As I watched the fire spread rapidly. But no one seemed to care! No firemen were called. No one came. The fires just spread to the walls around the lot and stopped. What was I all excited about?

But that was not all we were to experience. In May we had a big surpise. See the Post "The Fires get Closer to Home " for more photos and descriptions of another fogo. Look at the smoke on the street near our home!

The next BIG event began on July 23, 2006. We were coming home from São Joao da Boa Vista when we saw the beginnings of the BIG FIRE of 2006. See the Post "The BIG FIRE Starts". This fire burned for three days.

On Day 2 it was burning vigourously on the other side of the mountain. A second fire had been criminaly set in Fonte Platina (an area of Águas da Prata) and joined the first fire then spread into farms including an Ostrich farm. See the Post "Day Two of the Fire". It burned for one more day.

Then on August 4, 2006 I went up the mountain to inspect the damage. It was awful. See the Post "After the Fire - Devastation Part 1" then the next Post "After the Fire - Devastation Part 2" for more photos.

After the fire was burned out and before I went up the mountain to inspect the damage there was another fire set in town. Once again our street filled with smoke.

This is unbelievable. These two pics were taken at noon. Some fool was clearing the grass again.

You would think that that was the end of the story. But alas no! More FOGOS continued in late August through September.

These are special fires, set on purpose by the farmers who are harvesting cane to make alcool. See the Post "Fogo! Cane Fires". We woke up to the smell of smoke in the house again and then saw this coming over the mountain, on the west side of the valley this time.

These cane fires continued through September everywhere they were harvesting the cane.

Three Months later, on October 28, 2006 I went for a hike up the mountain to the north of town and took this photo showing how the east mountain is coming back. It is now a lush green again. See the Post "Fogo! Rejuvenation Three Months Later".

Finally the last Post "What the Press Wrote" talks of the fire, its effects and what the Police are doing about it.

Photos by Urso Branco

The Fires Get Closer to Home

On May 31, 2006 we smelled smoke in our house.

There was smoke rising over the houses across the street. There was a fire in the empty lot on the next block in front of us. The Brasilian Lawnmower was at work again.

Here was the start of it all.

It was a grass fire with a great deal of smoke. It blanketed the entire neighbourhood!

The fire had been set on purpose to clear the grasses on the lot. The empty lot is large, walled, and occupies enough space for four or five homes.

It seems odd to me that people put up with this in town. It actually is illegal.

Imagine coming home from work at day's end and finding your house full of smoke. This was the intersection of streets just around the corner from our place.

The smoke was really thick up and down the street.

When the smoke died down this is what the lot looked like.

Incredible as it may seem, the next morning they did it again. This time they were burning scrap lumber from a construction site in the same lot. In our own home we could hardly breathe. So we complained and they stopped burning.

So that was the end of fires . . . . . or so we thought!

Photos by Urso Branco

The BIG FIRE Starts!

On Jul 23, 2006 we had gone to São Joao de Boa Vista early in the afternoon. As we drove back into town at 4:30 we saw smoke rising high into the air over Águas da Prata. We joked that someone must be having a really big BBQ.

Here is what we saw as we entered town.

We drove closer and realized it was a fire in the forest on the mountainside on the east side of town.

It wasn't very big at this time and probably could have been put out easily if anybody wanted to bother.

Finally someone started to take it seriously as it approached close to this Pousada (Hotel). Someone called the Bombeiros (Fire Department) but they are in São Joa da Boa Vista several km away and didn't respond to fight the fire.

The fire got worse as it started to climb the mountain.

Then it started to spread rapidly across the mountain top. Still no help came.

The smoke and flames spread some more.

The fire started right beside this house. Police believe it was started deliberately.

We watched from the main highway through town. Cars and trucks drove by and drivers were likely unaware of the fire just over their heads. If you didn't look up you

This is another burn, right at the road side. But I found out later it was from three days earlier in the exact place where this day's fire started.

We went home as it got darker and the fire seemed to be burning itself out.

At around 8 p.m. I went into our bedroom and I could hear a crackling noise. I looked out the window. There, across the river, on the east side of the valley, the mountain was totally engulfed in flames. These night shots don't give even a hint at how awesome the fire had become.

In the total darkness the flames were all you could see because of the smoke. The crackling noise of the fire was very loud.

I took my camera and went down to the river to get a better look at what was happening.

By this time the fire was coming back down the mountain and came within 100 meters of the Shell Station. By 7:30 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. Bombeiros (Firemen) had shown up from as far away as Campinas. Even the Federal Police Firemen were there. But you couldn't see them in the darkness.

The fire was spreading rapidly around the mountain to the other side and over the top as well.

It was now burning close to houses and commercial buildings.

Brasileiros took all this in stride. I saw a group of them in a tavern drinking calmly. Their rationale was "Fire burns up Hill." or "It happens every year. So why worry about it?" The fire was only 50 meters from that tavern and they never budged.

When the fire rounded the corner it came right up to the walls of houses.

There were hot spots everywhere!

I expected to see total devastation by daylight as it kept burning through the night.

Photos by Urso Branco

Day Two of the Fire

Day two of the fire could be called Death on the Mountain!

On July 24, 2006 I walked around the corner from our house expecting to see the fire was out. However it had gone around the mountain to the other side as well as over the top and was still burning furiously.

Also, a second fire was set criminaly in Fonte Platina, an area on the south edge of town. This second fire joined up with the first on the mountain top.

Columns of smoke were visible all day!

Smoke billowed up over the mountain looking worse the closer I got.

I could see the scorched earth up the mountain behind the houses where I had watched the fire last night. You can see more smoke as the fire burns around the mountain.

The fire was also still burning to the south very vigorously. I could hear gunfire as the farmers were shooting severely injured livestock and wildlife early in the morning.

I went around to the backside of the mountain to see how badly the fire had burned the brush.

Later we drove along the highway and here you can see Urubus floating over the burn looking for dead and dying wildlife up on top of the mountain.

I could see the fire burning furiously around the Ostrich Farm on top of the mountain. It seemed nobody was fighting the fire. At least I couldn't see anyone up there from the highway. But the farmers and their neighbours were fighting valiantly to save their livestock and farms.

The fire burned for another day. We learned two Ostriches had died. pigs, cattle and numerous wildlife too. The fire had travelled several kms before it finally died out. It burned 30 alqueires or 360.6 acres

A couple days later the newspapers reported there would be an investigation because this fires had been set deliberately. As of Nov 15 we have heard no further news about the investigation. See the news report at the end of the BLOG. "What the Press Wrote".

Photos by Urso Branco

After the Fire - Devastation Part 1

Over the three days from August 4 to August 6 I went up on the mountain to see the damage. These photos were taken Aug 4, 2006.

You can see how the mountain side has been cleared of all grasses and bushes.

I went up the Caminho da Fe to assess the damage. Look at this scorched Palm tree to the left of centre. We will see it again, three months later.

Here you can see how the grasses have been burned off and many trees with their dead and burnt leaves still on them.

Some trees were completely burned to the stump whereas others were still intact but burned badly.

It was interesting to see how some trees were spared altogether.

In other areas there was very little spared.

Look at this unusal place. The grass in the middle of the path was not burned at all. The fire jumped the pathway in many places.

This is looking back the way we came. You can see here where the fire jumped the path in several places.

What a contrast between unburned and burnt areas!

Fresh paint! The Camonho da Fe people had already been up here marking the way! See the yellow arrow. To follow the Caminho da Fe you just follow the yellow arrows for 400 kms.

Another view back down towards to houses that were at the edge of the fire.

Now turn around and look up the mountain at total devestation. So sad!

Another view looking up.

This is a view around the other side of the mountain. Look at the cane, completely baked.

I went down the other side to see how far the fire spread there.

Baked Cactus anyone? Remember what this looks like. We will see it again, three months later.

We backtracked a ways to continue up the mountain. Here is where the fires raged the greatest during the first night. It was a spectacular sight and now you can see why. The damage here was total.

Here many trees were burnt completely or roasted. It was just a matter of how fast the fire was travelling.

Now, with no underbrush, you can see the dozens of very large ant hills there are on the mountain. Here is one, it is that red mound amid the burnt trees.

These trees were burned right to the top.

That is the monkey forest in the background. The monkies ran away from the fire to the other side of that mountain, across the highway.

Now we will continue higher. The devastation is worse the higher up we go.

This favourite roosting place for Urubus is burnt badly.

Look closely at this tree. All the leaves are burned off and the tree is blackened to the top. There are two birds on the burnt branches in the top left. We will look at this tree again three months later.

As we continue closer to the crest of the mountain you can see how everything was burned here. Nothing was left untouched.

Look everywhere! Nothing but scorched rocks and trees. No grasses left here.

More scorched earth.

Looking across the valley. A case of far away fields look greener!

But look here. What a surprise!!! New grass growing already, only 2 weeks after the fire. Amazing!!

Amid all the scorched places fresh grass was already starting to regrow.

A Mystery. What is that cistern doing part way up the mountain? I don't know.

We will leave you with this last photo of the scorched mountain. Is it scarred forever?

Photos by Urso Branco

After the Fire - Devastation Part 2

During the next two days, August 5 and Augus 6, I went back to the mountain to assess the damage on the other side.

Here is another look at the cane we saw in the previous post.

More photos of forest burnt.

Everywhere you look it is a terrible sight!

It is quite sickening when you remember this fire was started intentionaly.

There is an old abandoned house here. It had been completely engulfed in flames so only the foundation is remaining.

This was the front yard of the burned out house. It obviously hadn't been used in years. So it was not a big loss.

The road to that house was overgrown and not used except for motos and buggies riding up the mountain for moto-cross.

This road makes a u-turn and comes down here beside the houses that were on the edge of the fire. See all the burnt brush on the right.

The railroad and the river are on the left then you reach the highway. Notice the fire had come very close to the railroad on the left.

Now you can see how perilous the situation had been. The fire came right up to the wall of this property. The bushes on the wall were destroyed by fire.

Look at the palms. They were the worst victims.

Here is where the fire stopped. Right at the street. That was close!

Here is what Aguas da Prata looks like from the fire line up on the mountain.

This was not the end of the fires. In mid August through September they burn the cane fields.

Photos by Urso Branco

Fogo! Cane Fires!

This was the view from our Front Varandah on Wednesday August 16, 2006!

Just over the mountain there are very large cane fields. They burn the cane in mid August to mid September to get it ready to go to the factory to make Alcool.

I think this is a little out of control. The acrid dense smoke came right down the hill three blocks into our house. It lasted for about 6 to 8 hours. There must be a better way!

It was an unbelievable sight to see.

Three hours later the fire was approaching the top of the mountain on the far side.

The smoke came rushing through the small canyon and fortunately it turned north.

The smoke got so dense you could barely see the mountain and it is only three blocks away.

It just seems that Brasileiros love burning stuff.

Photos by Urso Branco

Fogo! Rejuvenated! Three Months Later

On October 28th, three months after the BIG FIRE I went up the mountain on the north of Águas da Prata. It is where the Caminho da Fe goes toward Tambaú. I looked back over Águas da Prata to the mountain where the fire had been.

Look at the top of the mountain on the east side of the valley. I saw how green the mountain top had become so I decided to go up the Caminho da Fe towards Andradas to see how much had recovered from the fire.

As I climbed the mountain via the Caminho da Fe I came to the first amazing sight. This photo was taken two weeks after the BIG FIRE! Notice the undergrowth was burned away. Look at the palm tree, roasted.

Now look at the same scene three months after the BIG FIRE! The same palm tree has some regrowth. But look at the grasses in the foreground. They are almost three meters tall. What an amzing recovery. Three meters in three months. Of course it is spring time and there have been a couple heavy rains too but I found it hard to believe it grew so fast.

Look at this! A few meters further up the mountain there are mangoes growing right in the pathway where the fire had seemed to have destroyed everything.

The mountain looks beautiful again.

Amid the fresh growth you see a huge anthill. I wonder if the ants survived.

It was hard to believe how much had regrown already.

An amazing example of Nature's regrowth. This photo was taken two weeks after the BIG FIRE.

Three months after the BIG FIRE I took this photo in almost the same place as the one above.

The mountain is getting green again.

You can still see signs of the fire amid the new growth.

Lots of fresh underbrush.

Fresh green was seen everywhere I looked.

Lots of fresh new growth here!

Look at the huge anthill! One of many on the mountain side.

Three months after the fire it looks like there was no fire here.

Most of the undersbrush is gone here but new grasses came back.

Two weeks after the fire look at the devastation here.

Compare the above photo with almost full recovery here three months after the fire.

Recovery has been slow in this location though.

This part of the trail has completely recovered.

Look up the trail and see all the fresh growth.

The mountain side is now green where it was completely burned befiore.

Looking back down the trail you can see lots of new growth, especially on the trail itself.

Remember this tree two weeks after the fire?

The tree didn't die. It is growing just fine thank you. Look at the new leaves.

Lush fresh growth along the ridge.

This tree had burnt to its top. Now there are mangoes growing on it again.

Look at this . . . 2 weeks after the fire.

Now look at the same place three months later! WOW!

Nearby the same place.

See how this area is starting to grow back again.

The freshly painted yellow arrow shows the way for the Caminho da Fe!

Here is an amazing sight! I was walking up the mountain and heard a roar behind me. I turned to see two fellows on motos practicing for the moto-cross to be held the next week. We saw the bikes the next week but down by the Thermos. There were over 50 of them. Here the one fellow waits for the other to clear the rocky area up top. Look close to see him.

Looking back down where we came from.

Look at this very large anthill. It was burned of course. It now makes a great place for snakes to live.

This unused building was, like so many other things up here, completely gutted. But being made of stone, blocks and concrete there was no real damage.

This is the Thermos from the mountain. That is the monkey forest behind the Thermos. See our BLOG Sabados http://aguasdaprata.blogspot.com for more details on the Thermos and the monkies. That road in the background goes up that mountain to a very large coffee plantation.

The view back to that building we passed. Everything here was burnt, except the fence posts. They are made of concrete.

Look around at the grand scenery and lush grass!

I next go up to the peak of the mountain and the question is, "How badly was the park damaged?" Let's go see!

Looking back down from the crest of the hill.

Just over the rise is a lovely park-like setting.

This old building is leftover from when there was a park up here. It was completely engulfed in flames durng the two days the fires raged across the mountaintop. But it is made of brick and stone so it is left intact.

This is the view back the way we came up, looking across the valley into the coffee plantation. This was one of the most severly burned places on top of the mountain.

Look how lush and green the new grasses are here.

It is unbelievable how green everything is up here. I had never been here before and I see that is a very beautiful place, fully regrown.

This is as far as I went. It was getting dark and about to rain. So I went down the mountain via the other route.

I took one last look about. Here you can see the highway to Poços de Caldas. The fire stopped just a little further on by the Ostrich Farm. All this area was all burnt off completely.

I returned by the other route to see how the cactus fared. Remember that baked cactus? Here is what it looked like two weeks after the fire.

Now look how it recovered!!!

See the best sign of recovery! These lovely wildflowers are growing in an area where all the underbrush and grasses were completely destroyed. Mother Nature knows best. She recovers every Spring.

Photos by Urso Branco

What the Press Wrote!

Jornal do Povo

29 de Julho de 2006

Queimadas viram caso de policia na Prata

Incêndio provacado queimou 30 alqueires de mata, matou avestruzes e colocou casas em risco

Photos from Jornal do Povo

English Translation:

The Civil and Military Police are investigating the causes of the fire that started on Sunday and ended on Tuesday.

The fire started around 4:30 p.m. close to Pedreira Farm. From there the fire spread opening a V in the forest, burning the top of the mountain going behind the São Paulo Hotel coming from both sides.

Animals were seen running from the fire, people were desparate and afraid of the fire reaching their houses and also the Shell Gas Station with the fire behind a large bamboo grove.

There were moments of panic caused by criminals being sought by the police.

The fire got within 2 meters from the backyard of the houses located behind the São Paulo Hotel.

The damage wasn't worse because of the actions of the Military Police, the Firemen and the City Workers of Águas da Prata and a large force of others such as the São João da Boa Vista City Workers that came to help fight the fire.

The fire started to threaten the houses around 10:30 p.m. and then continued up the mountain burning until Tuesday burning 30 alqueires (360.6 Acres) killing Ostriches, pigs and cattle in the farms along its path.

In the district called Fonte Platina another criminal fire started on Monday and reached the Fazenda Avestruz da Prata (Ostrich Farm). It was seen at 11:30 a.m.

"They opened the farm gates to let the Ostriches free but they are fearful birds and let the fire approach closely," said Renato Padula, owner of the farm.

Sadly two birds were killed and six were severely injured.

The damage wasn't worse because the neighbours came to help fight the fire.

"It was horrible," said Renato. The trouble didn't end in Fonte Platina because every day there are people burning grasses in the grounds around town.

The material damage hasn't been calculated yet but the damage in the forests and area was felt by everyone.

On monday the town woke covered by soot from the fires, and the usual golden colour of sunrise was replaced by grey. The local medical centre received a record number of peiple with respiratory problems.

The dry weather made the problem worse. But, it is no excuse for the authorities lack of preparedness.

Secondly according to the press, the firemen didn't arrive until three hours after the fire started. Secondly Lieutenant Palmieri that attended this fire attends many other towns and all the vehicles were eleswhere. That is why they took so long to respond to calls for help.

Only when the panic of the residents of the houses close to the fire clogged the phone lines did help arrive.

I hope you found this blog interesting and informative. Some way we must all pursuade Brasilians to stop all this burning. There must be better ways such as harvesting the grasses and composting them rather than poluting the atmosphere and making people sick; ways that don't endanger farmers livestock and crops. We must also think of the wildlife and their habitat that was so carelessly and criminally destroyed. This must be stopped. Global warming is doing enough damage and it doesn't need us to make the situation worse.

Urso Branco