Brazil's president has ordered the armed forces to help fight a record number of forest fires in the Amazon, BBC has reported.

A decree issued by President Jair Bolsonaro authorises the deployment of soldiers in nature reserves, indigenous lands and border areas in the region.

Defence Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva is to oversee the order and will be responsible for allocating resources, it states.

The order is initially authorises action for a month, from 24 August to 24 September.

The announcement comes after intense pressure from European leaders France and Ireland said they would not ratify a huge trade deal with South American nations unless Brazil does more to tackle blazes in the Amazon. Finland's finance minister has also called on the EU to consider banning Brazilian beef imports.