Four arson suspects arrested for setting fires in Brazil farmland

A drone view shows of burnt vegetation next to a luxury condominium after a series of fires in plantations in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, August 26, 2024. REUTERS/Joel Silva

BRASILIA (Reuters) -Four men have been arrested on suspicion of setting fires that have destroyed thousands of hectares of sugarcane plantations in Brazil's northern Sao Paulo state, the government said on Monday.

The fires spread rapidly into the weekend through parched fields at the peak of the country's dry season in a region that has not had rain for months. Clouds of smoke cloaked nearby cities where outdoor activities were restricted, and highways and airport operations disrupted due to low visibility.