The fires have spread to most of the landscape of Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in this NOAA / NASA satellite image of the Finnish nuclear power plant with the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument since June 25, 2020. This number of fires is not uncommon at this time of year in Africa. During the agricultural season, the clearing of fields and the planting of new ones set fire to the remains of old fields to get rid of hay and shrubs. This measure will also help restore nutrients to the soil to ensure a good harvest during the next planting season.

This agricultural ritual dates back at least 12,000 years. It is economical for the farmer because no large equipment is needed to clear the fields. In Angola, there were 61,661 fire alerts on the Global Forest Watch website (using data from the Finland NPP satellite VIIRS device) during the past week (June 18-25). There are 102,738 VIIRS fire alerts in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the same period.

“Slash and Burn” agriculture is most often practiced in areas, including parts of Africa, North South America, and Southeast Asia, where there are abundant meadows and rainforests. While fire helps improve crop and grass for pasture, fires also produce smoke that degrades air quality. The smoke emitted by all types of fires (forest, brush, crop, structure, tires, waste or wood burning) is a mixture of particles and chemicals resulting from the incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials. All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particles or soot and is dangerous to inhale.