Amazon fires explained: what are they, why are they so damaging, and how can we stop them?

What is causing the Amazon fires, why are they so damaging, and how can we stop them?, ask Jos Barlow, Lancaster University and Alexander C. Lees, Manchester Metropolitan University

Imagine a rainforest at dawn – the tall canopy laden with dripping ferns and orchids, tree trunks covered in spongy mosses and lichens, and the morning mist only slowly burning away as the sun rises. While there is fuel everywhere, it seems unimaginable that such humid ecosystems could ever catch fire.