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Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA crisis cabinet has been set up by the S\u00e3o Paulo state government to deal with wildfires which have put 30 Brazilian cities on alert.<\/p>\n Flames have killed two people and smoke has disrupted traffic on a dozen highways, while the capital, S\u00e3o Paulo, is shrouded in a grey haze. <\/p>\n Soaring temperatures and low humidity are stoking dangerous fire conditions in the state, which has endured a prolonged drought.<\/p>\n Local government said two employees at an industrial plant in the city of Urupes had died on Friday while fighting a fire, without providing more details, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Brazil has recently experienced a huge wildfire in the Pantanal wetlands and vast flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.<\/p>\n The state government has also warned forest fires could spread rapidly from gusts of wind, potentially razing large areas of natural vegetation.<\/p>\n Writing on social media, Governor Tarc\u00edsio de Freitas said: “We currently have 30 cities on high alert for large fires and we are working to control the situation and ensure safety.”<\/p>\n In a separate post<\/a> he later wrote: “S\u00e3o Paulo is facing a difficult time and we are committed, joining forces, to control the fires and keep people safe. <\/p>\n “We were in the field throughout the day to ensure a prompt response to the most affected areas, such as Piracicaba, Barrinha, Sert\u00e3ozinho and Ribeir\u00e3o Preto. We will not rest until the situation is back to normal.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meanwhile, the state’s capital S\u00e3o Paulo has been covered by a dense grey fog.<\/p>\n “With gusts of wind, the fire can spread rapidly,” the government warned in a statement.<\/p>\n “Fires emit dense and toxic smoke that harms the environment and human health, causing problems to the respiratory system and cardiovascular disorders,” it added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The situation was critical in S\u00e3o Jose do Rio Preto, a city of 480,000 inhabitants, where more than 335 fires have been registered in recent days, prompting school closures, AFP reported.<\/p>\n Brazil has been hit by a series of extreme weather events, most recently a massive wildfire in the Pantanal wetlands in June<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the time climate experts said this year’s wildfire season had started earlier and is more intense than in previous years.<\/p>\n Earlier this year in May, Brazil also experienced once-in-a-century flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul<\/a> which left more than 170 people dead and displaced more than half a million people from their homes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
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Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Reuters](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/cdad\/live\/bf5c4620-6261-11ef-b9e4-01cc343a2e26.png.webp\")
Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n