São Paulo civil defense declares fire emergency for holiday amid low humidity

The State Civil Defense of São Paulo issued an emergency fire alert for the long holiday from 9 to 11 July 2026 because a dry air mass will push relative humidity below 30 percent in the interior. The highest‑risk zones – Barretos, Ribeirão Preto and Franca – were placed in a state of emergency, the most critical level. Andradina, Presidente Prudente, Bauru and Campinas were classified with a red alert, while the rest of the state remains under a high alert.

Authorities warned that any ignition source – stray cigarettes, open flames, burning waste or balloons – could quickly trigger large, hard‑to‑control fires, noting that nine out of ten fires in the state are human‑caused. Recommendations include avoiding fires, properly discarding cigarettes, not using fire for cleaning, and obeying local restrictions.

A cold front is expected to arrive on Saturday, bringing increased cloud cover, isolated light rain and lower temperatures, which should reduce fire risk for the following days. The period June‑October is traditionally the “red phase” for fires in São Paulo, the driest time of year, prompting heightened vigilance from civil‑defence teams and the public.