People in Brazil’s Amazon are choking on smoke and feeling the heat from rainforest wildfires

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Smoke from wildfires in Brazil's Amazon rainforest Wednesday was causing people in the region to cough, burning their throats and reddening their eyes.

Large swaths of the country have been draped in smoke in recent days, resulting from fires raging across the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, Pantanal wetland and the state of Sao Paulo.

Residents are feeling the sting, including Fátima Silva, a 60-year-old farmer in the Amazonian town of Labrea.

“I am not well. I am feeling short of breath, my throat hurts, my eyes need eye drops, I can’t go out on the street, I can’t go anywhere because everything is white with smoke,” Silva told The Associated Press in a voice note, adding that her grandchildren are coughing so much they can hardly sleep.

“My grandchildren, my children, everyone is getting sick. Today it got even worse. No one can stand it,” she said.

Fires are traditionally used for deforestation and for managing pastures, and those man-made blazes are largely responsible for igniting the wildfires.

In the Amazon, there have been 53,620 fire spots between Jan. 1 and Aug. 27, an 83% increase from the same period last year, according to the National Institute for Space Research, a federal agency.

Across the Amazon, many areas were classified as having “very bad” or “terrible” air pollution Wednesday, according to the the State University of Amazonas' environmental monitoring system.

In cases of wildfires and due to the resulting smoke, Amazonas state's civil defense authority has recommended staying hydrated and remaining indoors.

But street vendors, garbage collectors, crossing guards and other workers have to be out and about. That means they can’t avoid the smoke. Even worse, because they have to work harder to breathe in those conditions they inhale more of the dangerous particles into their lungs, according to Jesem Orellana, a resident of Manaus, the biggest city in the Amazon, and an epidemiologist and researcher at the state-run Fiocruz Institute.

Residents of Manaus have come to expect “the smoke of death” in mid-September and October when fires and deforestation approximately peak, but this year the smoke became a problem much earlier, he added.

“That means that we are exposed to this toxic smoke for an even longer period of time, which has direct implications for the health of the population,” Orellana told the AP by phone. And the smoke’s impact goes beyond physical health, he said, causing anxiety which can impact sleep quality.

Maria Soledade Barros Silva, who lives in the Ponta Negra neighborhood of Manaus, said the nearby riverside beach where people normally bike, skate, rollerblade and jetski is clouded with thick smog. Navigation of waterways that residents depend on has become more complicated, too.

“It’s not normal. I’ve lived here for 40 years. We didn’t have this before,” Barros said.

Silva, who lives farther up the Purus River in Labrea, also said she had never seen anything like this before.

“I think this is the worst place in the world. We are asking for help, because we can’t live like this anymore,” she said.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The National Congress is barely visible through smoke from wildfires during dry weather in Brasilia, Brazil, early Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Smoke from wildfires fills the air in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

A boat navigates the Negro River amid smoke from wildfires in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

A pedestrian wears a mask due to smoke from wildfires reaching Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Smoke from wildfires fills the air along the Jornalista Phelippe Daou bridge over the Negro River in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

PHOENIX (AP) — Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run homer, Freddy Peralta pitched five effective innings and the Milwaukee Brewers increased their NL Central lead with a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Hoskins hit his 24th homer off Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3) in the fourth inning and five Milwaukee pitchers shut down baseball’s highest-scoring offense. Peralta (11-8) allowed a run on six hits and Devin Williams worked a perfect ninth for his 12th save in 13 opportunities.

The Brewers extended their NL Central lead to 10 games after the Chicago Cubs lost 9-5 to Colorado.

“Freddy wasn’t his best self, but he bobbed and weaved, gave us five,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We got some big outs at the end. The bullpen was really good.”

Arizona was limited to six hits to drop into a tie with San Diego for the top NL wild-card spot. The Diamondbacks remain five games back of Los Angeles in the NL West following the Dodgers' 6-2 loss to Atlanta.

“Ww built some innings, but we just couldn't get that big hit,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We couldn't get into that space where we had the slug that broke the game open.”

Both starters were sharp.

Peralta walked two in the first inning and gave up a run on Pavin Smith’s sacrifice fly and worked around traffic the rest of his outing. The right-hander had five strikeouts and four walks in his second straight season with 30 starts.

“My goal from the begining was to put up zeroes, whether it was four innings or seven,” Peralta said. “I know the guys behind me are going to do it — our bullpen is great.”

Rodriguez struck out seven through the first three innings before Hoskins hit a two-run homer off the base of the second deck in the fourth. It was the only two runs the left-hander allowed on five hits in five innings, with seven strikeouts and three walks.

“I felt pretty good. The only pitch I felt I missed was a sinker and when you miss a pitch, you pay for it,” Rodriguez said. “The last three or four games I've missed a pitch to the wrong guy and paid for it.”

The Brewers helped Rodriguez with shoddy baserunning.

Jackson Chourio got picked off first by Rodriguez in the third inning and a throw behind Garrett Mitchell by Arizona catcher Jose Herrera led to a forceout at third after a rundown.

“Those guys don’t have a full year in the major leagues and we’re an aggressive team, so it’s going to happen,” Murphy said.

TRAINER'S TABLE

Diamondbacks: C Gabriel Moreno (groin) is expected to be activated from the injured list early next week. ... OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (left calf) also could be back in the lineup later in the week.

UP NEXT

Brewers RHP Tobias Myers (7-5, 2.93 ERA) was set to face RHP Brandon Pfaadt (9-8, 4.42) on Saturday.

AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning during a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning during a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Milwaukee Brewers' Rhys Hoskins (12) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning during a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Milwaukee Brewers' Jackson Chourio hits a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning during a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Milwaukee Brewers third base Joey Ortiz, left, tags out Arizona Diamondbacks' Christian Walker trying to advance in the third inning during a baseball game, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)