Cristiano Ronaldo has joined the #PrayForAmazonia forces to protect the Amazon forest after a record number of wildfires in the thick rainforest left cities surrounding the Amazon in Brazil engulfed in thick smoke. Reports state that fires in the Amazon have stakes 83 per cent higher so far this year compared to the earlier year, which has not just turned of vast areas of the thick rainforest into Ashes but has also affected cities close to it. It has everyone attention, including Ronaldo, who has now led the calls to save ‘our’ planet. Amazon Rainforest Fire: #PrayForAmazonia Trends on Twitter as Users Call For World's Attention To Wildfires in Brazil.

Fires in the Amazon rainforest are natural during the dry season at this time of the year. But the high surge has led to heavy criticism for all around the world. Many environmentalists have blamed the farmers of Brazil for the sudden rise of forest fires in the Amazon and have accused the farmers of clearing parts of forest regularly to make way for pasture land.

“The Amazon Rainforest produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen and its been burning for the past 3 weeks. It’s our responsibility to help to save our planet,” said Ronaldo in his tweet Calling for everyone to take responsibility to save the planet.

Cristiano Ronaldo Joins #prayforAmazonia Forces

Meanwhile, Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro ina dramatic turn revealed that the country's government does not have the adequate resources to fight the record number of forest fires in the Amazon rainforest. This was after had refused money for volunteer donors telling them that Brazil does not need their money.

"The Amazon is bigger than Europe, how will you fight criminal fires in such an area?" he asked reporters as he left the presidential residence. "We do not have the resources for that," Bolsonaro was quoted as saying by Mirror UK.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2019 08:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).