Bolsonaro's comments come as his supporters and detractors gathered in cities across the country, in a stark symbol of the polarization in Latin America's largest country.

Nearly 80,000 fires have been registered across Brazil through Aug. 24, the highest since at least 2013, according to space research agency INPE.

Some 44,000 troops will be available for “unprecedented” operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to six Brazilian states that asked for federal help, Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo said.