Fires fuel fears of species loss

Environmentalists point to damage across borders as firefight gears up in Amazon forest

As old and new Amazon wildfires prove difficult to put out despite moves by Brazilian authorities to rein them in, environmentalists worry that the impact of the blazes on flora and fauna may be harder to measure than imagined: Some species may become extinct before they are even discovered.

A major discussion later this month seems likely now that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro supports UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' proposed meeting to target the infernos ranging across Brazil and other countries with Amazon rainforests.