Brazil's Bolsonaro says government lacks the resources to fight Amazon fires

Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil on August 21, 2019. (REUTERS Photo)

SAO PAULO, August 22 (Reuters): Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that the government lacks the resources to fight wildfires in the Amazon rainforest after satellite images showed a record number of burning spots this year.

In a speech broadcast live on Facebook, the president said the government is investigating the fires. He also said he never claimed non-governmental organizations were starting fires in the forest, saying he was only talking of his suspicions.