original_query: What is the significance of the number of fires in Brazil in 2019?
query: What is the significance of the high number of fires in the Amazon region of Brazil in 2019?
answer: The high number of fires in the Brazilian Amazon in 2019 (72,843, with over half in the Amazon region) was significant because it coincided with a relaxation of environmental regulations by the Brazilian government and a record number of fires in August 2019.  Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rose by over 88% in June 2019 compared to the same month in 2018. This increase in fires raised concerns about biodiversity loss and the release of carbon into the atmosphere, potentially accelerating global warming.