BRASILIA — Firefighters succeeded on Sept 4 in reducing the extent of a massive wildfire that blazed for two days and destroyed 20 per cent of a forest in the Brazilian capital, cloaking the city in clouds of gray-white smoke, according to officials, who suspect that it may have been started by arsonists.

The National Forest of Brasilia is a conservation area that extends over 5,600 hectares of woodland that protects the springs that are the source of 70 per cent of the city's freshwater.

The fire broke out at the peak of the dry season when vegetation is parched and temperatures high allowing flames to spread fast.

"We have put out three of the four blazes and we hope to have the fire under control by the end of the day," said Fabio dos Santos Miranda, who manages the forest.

"We are sure this was an environmental crime, but we haven't confirmed if it was intentional or not," he said in an interview, adding that three suspected arsonists were seen in the area where the fire started.

Firefighters struggled to contain the forest fire and stop it spreading to adjacent orchards where farmers grow tomatoes and flowers.

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