Record-breaking fires are quickly rising throughout the Amazon rainforest, causing an immense uproar from politicians, celebrities and those on social media.

Reactions have sparked due to the unpredicted amount of fires throughout Brazil in 2019, only intensifying in August. There have been more than 74,000 fires across the country, with nearly 40,000 fires across the Amazon, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.

These intense fires have captured the planet’s attention, being that the Amazon is the world’s largest and most diverse rainforest, home to millions of species and trees. However, it is important for people to be aware that the fires across the ecosystem our planet depends on to survive, are caused from not only environmental issues but political issues as well.

Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has enforced environmental policies that are condoning deforestation. According to a publication entitled Folha do Progresso from the southern part of the Amazonian state of Pará, “Farmers and ranchers in the region organized what they called ‘a day of fire’ for Aug. 10, where they would set forests aflame to clear land for pasture and planting.”

In addition to condoning deforestation, Bolsonaro declined financial aid offered to assist in stopping the Amazon fires due to what can be seen as personal reasons. The Group of Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) offered Brazil $20 million in aid on Aug. 27. However, Bolsonaro said he would not accept the aid unless French leader Emmanuel Macron apologized for insulting Bolsonaro.

“First of all, Macron has to withdraw his insults,” said Bolsonaro. “He called me a liar.”

In the following 48 hours after, forest fires spread rapidly in the region. The New York Times reported that farmers started the bulk of these fires, but that they supposedly targeted land that already was cleared for agriculture.

Similarly, the environment secretary for the state of Amazonas, Eduardo Taveria, told TIME that in the southern part of the state, “The agency has seen an unusually large number of fires in areas where man-made forest fires in the Amazon are an annual issue.”

The whole situation has evoked anger and tension from politicians and celebrities. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders published a tweet expressing his disdain last Thursday.

“The Amazon is being destroyed,” tweeted Sanders. “So Trump opens America’s largest rainforest, Tongass National Forest, to logging and mining… The president and his billionaire friends are a threat to our entire planet.”

Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio discussed why he is upset about the Amazon burning in an interview with Now This news.

“There’s a major tragedy going on in the world,” said DiCaprio. “Having been to the Amazon, having stayed there and knowing not only the importance that it is for stabilizing climate, but the beauty of biodiversity and the cultures that live there, it’s incredibly tragic… Governments around the world, including Brazil, need to work together to make sure this doesn’t continue.”

With several public figures and regular people voicing their disgust over the man made fires, we may be able to prevent such travesties from continuing.