For decade, landowners in Rio Grande do Sul in the south of Brazil have used fire as a means to clear fields and woods for cattle ranching, in violation of the state legislation which prohibits this. In 1993, a team of environmental activists and forestry guards made a tour of the worst affected areas, confronted landowners and later denounced them to the Public Ministry. The action made headlines and later led to a debate in the House of Representatives.
An estimated 17.2 million hectares of forest lands and thousands of plant and animal species become extinct each year, many without even being noticed.