 This number is expected to increase several times in the next three months, before the arrival of the rainy season. Two other important ecological systems, the Pantanal Wetlands and the Cerrado Tropical Savannah region, have also been affected by record numbers of blazes. The Environment Minister, Marina Silva, says most of the fires have been initiated by farmers clearing their land for agriculture. She's also blamed climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon.