FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly/File Photo/File Photo
BRASILIA (Reuters) - The number of fires in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose 20% in June to a 13-year-high for the month, government data showed on Wednesday, as researchers worry that it could signal a repeat of last year's surge in forest fires.
Health experts also fear the smoke that often blankets the region during the dry season, causing respiratory problems, could cause complications for COVID-19 patients.
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