By Pires, L. B. M. and Romao, M.
Atlanta, November 1st, 2017.
With the return of rain to the region of the Arariboia indigenous reserve in Maranhão, the outbreaks of fires have reduced significantly in the last two days.
The Indians isolated at the Arariboia reserve were at serious risk of having their lands seriously burned by the large number of fire outbreaks in the region. There was also an expectation that only the return of the rains could soften this problematic picture. The forecast of the return of rain was confirmed, and the beginning of the month of November marked the beginning of the rainy season in the state of Maranhão. In the last 48 hours the equivalent of 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain has occurred, which caused the outbreaks of fire that threatened the reserve and the isolated Indians to be almost completely extinguished.
With the reduction of the risk of fire, the brigades operating in the region are beginning to be demobilized because there is more danger that new outbreaks will be formed. Today (01/Nov) there are no longer any foci of fire in the reserve area, only a few in its vicinity (see figure 1), something very different from the one on September 15, the peak of the fires, when the reference satellite registered 131 outbreaks in one day, mainly in the vicinity of the reservation.
According to Funai (National Indian Foundation), the regulator of Brazilian indigenous reserves,these Indians live in isolation or without a significant contact with modern society. This indigenous profile makes them especially vulnerable because the burning destroys their areas of hunting, fishing and subsistence, while at the same time they avoid contact, which otherwise could bring help, at all costs, since they do not have the immunities to the diseases whites bring with them.