Military planes heading for Sao Paulo to fight wildfires

SAO PAULO - The Brazilian government announced Sunday that it is sending military aircraft to combat wildfires ravaging Brazil's southeastern state of Sao Paulo.

"We have asked the Defense Ministry to mobilize aircraft to combat the areas reached by the fire," said Waldez Goes, Minister of Integration and Regional Development.

Goes attributed the fires to the "complicated climate emergency situation," adding that the Air Force is set to assist Sao Paulo in fighting the fires, including deploying a KC-390 cargo aircraft.

The governor of Sao Paulo decreed a state of emergency in 45 municipalities on Sunday.

The country's wealthiest and most populous state has been affected by a combination of high temperatures and low humidity. However, authorities suspect that some of the fires in sugar cane fields were caused by arson.