Sao Paulo: Raizen, the biggest sugar and ethanol producer in Brazil, announced on Thursday the suspension of industrial activities at its plant of Santa Elisa, in the state of São Paulo as the fire broke out at sugarcane fields surrounding the plant, reports Reuters.
In an update, Raizen said the fires had prevented the restart of activities, and there have been reports of further flare-ups today.
The company acknowledged that local authorities managed to bring the fire under control on Thursday, but new outbreaks were observed on Friday. “We will resume industrial operations as soon as it is safe for our employees,” Raizen stated.
The fire has impacted the unit’s biomass storage and some equipment, according to a separate statement from Raizen issued on Thursday. However, the company did not provide specific details about the damaged equipment.
Brazil has seen a spike in fires across sugarcane fields this year due to extremely dry conditions following months of minimal or no rainfall. According to Datagro consultancy, the number of fires by the end of July was 60% higher than in the same period last year.
