Cuiabá (MT) – Military personnel from the 2nd Special Border Platoon / Fortuna spent three days fighting a large forest fire in the Portal do Encantado Indigenous Land, in Mato Grosso. On November 12, at 5pm, indigenous people from the Chiquitanos ethnic group arrived at the military detachment asking for help. Immediately, the Platoon’s personnel were mobilized and headed for the Indigenous Land, where they began to fight the large-scale fire.
In the early hours, indigenous people and army soldiers worked side by side, extinguishing the flames with dampers, blowers, water pumps and various tools. On the 13th, the Mato Grosso Military Fire Brigade arrived on the scene and intensified the response. The fire was extinguished on the 14th. Military personnel from the 2nd Special Border Platoon / Fortuna also rescued 8 indigenous people to a safe place, away from the fire.
The firefighting teams faced the additional difficulties of dry vegetation, due to the drought, and high temperatures caused by the excessively hot weather.
The Portal do Encantado Indigenous Land covers an area of 43,000 hectares, located on the border strip of the state of Mato Grosso, on the outskirts of the municipalities of Pontes e Lacerda, Porto Esperidião and Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade. The land is inhabited by 1,046 indigenous people of the Chiquitano ethnic group.
Cacique Vitor, the leader of the central village, and his wife, thanked the Brazilian Army for its prompt response, which was crucial in ensuring that all the residents were unharmed. Check out the details of the action and Cacique Vitor’s testimony.