A Drought-Primed Amazon, and Smoke Over Manaus

A drought accompanying El Niño has left the Amazon rainforest primed to burn, and scientists say the region has entered the early stages of what they think will be a long and severe fire season.

By October 12, heavy smoke had socked in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, according to NASA. The expectation is not a passing bad week: the scientists quoted describe a season they think will run long and severe, and say it is only now getting started.