This week's In The News covers the issues around the massive fires burning in the Brazilian Amazon. The nine sites listed provide information and commentary on the global issue. Since July 1997, the media has paid attention to the Brazilian Amazon, as fires there increased and raged out of control. Thought to have been started by slash-and-burn agriculturists, these fires were influenced by El Nino weather patterns and spread in size and intensity until reaching devastating heights in late March, 1998. Although a fortuitous three-day rain extinguished most fires, experts warn that the threat of future fires remains high. While Brazil has received much attention in recent months, such fires are not limited to South America; Indonesia and other tropical countries face similar disturbances to their ecological and economic environments.