The government of the Brazilian state of São Paulo has declared a state of emergency in 45 municipalities due to severe fires in the south-east of the country.

More than 15,000 firefighters, backed by military aircraft, are battling the blazes, authorities said, noting that two people have been arrested for starting the fires.

The city of Ribeirão Preto, with a population of more than 700,000 and located some 300 kilometres from São Paulo, has been badly affected by the fires.

Data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) showed that 3,175 fires were recorded in the state of São Paulo between 1 and 23 August

Following an emergency meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, she said the Federal Police had begun investigations into the causes of the forest fires that have ravaged the region in recent days.