BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jaime Bolsonaro on Thursday renewed his suspicion that non-governmental organizations were behind them, acknowledging he had no proof.

Bolsonaro said that although farmers may have started some fires to open pastures, NGOs are still the main suspect.

"The NGOs have lost money. They are unemployed. What should they do then? They are trying to bring me down."

Bolsonaro admitted there was no way to prove such suspicions unless someone was caught red-handed, accusing the media of distorting his previous statements. He said he had not made any charges but expressed doubts.

This came a day after similar comments by the president, while national satellites spotted about 9 thousand fires in the forest, which covers an area of ​​about five million square kilometers.

Bolsonaro's comments were echoed by environmentalists, who described them as "totally irresponsible and illogical."

Dry weather conditions have hampered firefighting efforts, as well as the lack of roads between these forests.

The Brazilian Space Research Center has warned of the high rate of Amazon fires, where it recorded a record since the beginning of the year exceeding 72 thousand fires.

The organization "Green Peace" that the fires have risen since the beginning of this year by 145% in the Amazon, compared to the same period last year.

Bolsonaro: NGOs have lost money. They are unemployed. So what should they do? (Reuters)

Since Bolsonaro took office earlier this year, the Environment Agency has issued fewer penalties for logging, while ministers have clearly affirmed their sympathy for loggers rather than indigenous groups living in the forest.

Environmental organizations accuse the Bolsonaro government of failing to protect forests from human encroachment, arguing that its development policies have encouraged farmers to deforest for crops and livestock for investment.

The forests of the Amazon are described as "lungs of the earth", with an area of ​​about 5.5 million square kilometers, and is one of the most important areas to address global warming.