The Amazon Fires story was all wrong and media hype by the NY Times and other so-called newspapers of record.
What do you mean "all wrong"? The fires were/are there, and the year is not over yet. So unless called to a halt early, they could break the trend of declining fires. Especially the position of the Brasilian government (enforcing the law that prohibits illegal burning) has changed recently, and that made an escalation more likely.
Another thing, one cannot compare just the number of fires and reach a meaningful conclusion about the damage to ecosystems and the atmosphere. One needs to also take into account what is burning. African savannah wildland and forests are markedly different than Amazonian wet forests, and Siberian Tundras are different from both others mentioned. The loss of animal and human life also differs between places, as does the possibility of recovery.
Cheers,
Bart