Bolivia declared a national emergency due to raging forest fires, the country's Defense Ministry announced on Saturday.

At a press conference, Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo said the national emergency would enable the country to swiftly coordinate international support.

"This will allow us to have more agile and effective support from friendly countries and from international cooperation," Novillo said.

Bolivia has experienced the largest number of wildfires since 2010, with at least three million hectares burned this year, according to Inpe, Brazil's space research agency that monitors fires.

South America is currently in the midst of its peak fire season, which spans August and September. This follows an unusually early fire season that began devastating the country in July, exacerbated by a drought.

Bolivia's firefighting forces are stretched thin, and the government has called for international aid. Indigenous volunteers have attempted to protect land used for growing crops and feeding livestock near the Chiquitano forest, which extends towards Brazil and Paraguay, but some have been forced to evacuate.

Brazil has also experienced major blazes in cities, and the Amazon rainforest is facing its worst start in two decades due to a record drought.