Amazon Rainforest fire LIVE: Devastating fires revealed as São Paulo PLUNGED into darkness

Brazil’s Amazon basin is home to the largest tropical forest in the world.

The forest’s carbon store is vital to the process of slowing down the pace of global warning.

Wildfires are common in the Amazon’s dry season, but this year have seen record numbers of raging blazes in the region.

More than 72,000 fires have been recorded in the Amazon Rainforest since January 2019.

And the number keeps growing this year. In comparison, there were fewer than 40,000 fires for the same period in 2018.

2.40pm update: Almost one million square miles affected by fires

An estimated measure done by Express.co.uk shows approximately 640 million acres have been affected by the fire.

Based on Google’s alert system, the area surrounded by the fire covers more than half of Brazil.

Five states suffered more forest fires this year: Fires in the mid-western state of Mato Grosso soared by 260 percent than last year, which is responsible for almost 20 percent of all the forest fires registered in the whole country from January to August.

In addition, the number of forest fires in Rondonia, Para and Acre in the northern region grew by 198 percent, 188 percent and 176 percent respectively.

Rio de Janeiro in the southeastern region saw a 173-percent growth.

2.25pm update: Why is Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro being criticised?

Fires often occur in the dry season in Brazil but they are also deliberately started in efforts to illegally deforest land for cattle ranching.

INPE noted that the number of fires was not in line with those normally reported during the dry season, which takes place in July and August.

Over the past decade, previous governments had managed to reduce deforestation with action by federal agencies and a system of fines.

But Mr Bolsonaro and his ministers have criticised the penalties and overseen a fall in confiscations of timber and convictions for environmental crimes.

Mr Bolsonaro has also come under increased pressure from international powers amid the rise in deforestation.

Norway and Germany halted tens of millions of dollars of Amazon protection subsidies to the Amazon Fund, accusing Brazil of turning its back on the fight against deforestation.