In the line of fire: Indigenous brigades battling forest blazes in the Amazon

A Paiter Suruí firefighter tackles a wall of flame in the Amazon. The volunteers get a week’s training before they fight fires with the most basic of equipment. However, satellite images are increasingly being used by Indigenous communities to spot wildfires early. Photograph: Victor Moriyama

Preserving the world’s largest tropical forest poses an immense challenge for the governments of Latin America. This task is exacerbated by the inefficiency of public policies and the escalating land conflicts that plague various Brazilian biomes.

In response to these threats, Indigenous peoples have taken matters into their own hands, rallying to oversee and protect their territories.