A search engine that puts advertising profits towards planting trees had a surge in users reportedly of 1,150 per cent because of the fires devastating the Amazon rainforests.

Ecosia, which donates most of its revenue to reforestation, enjoyed a spike in popularity last week in response to worldwide alarm over the destruction in Brazil and neighbouring countries.

The rush by internet users to help tree-planting emerged as G7 countries agreed to create a $20m (£16.3m) fund to help Amazon countries fight wildfires.

The search engine, whose projects include the Atlantic Forest on Brazil’s east coast, says it can plant a tree every 0.8 seconds thanks to a rise in downloads of its search app and browser extension over recent months.

In reaction to the policies of President Bolsonaro, which have driven tree loss, Ecosia says it has committed to planting a million extra trees in Brazil over six months, reconnecting remaining forest patches. Although the area is 2,500 miles from the Amazon, the company says deforestation there is “oppressive”.

Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Fire rages in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonina on August 23 Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billlows from burning tracts of the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Para on August 23 AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Fire rages in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonina on August 23 EPA Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Land in the Amazon rainforest left scorched in the fires in the Brazilian state of Rondonina on August 23 AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil on August 23 AFP Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Fire tears through a farm in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso AP Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures An area of the Amazon rainforest left scorched in the fires in the Brazilian state of Amazonas on August 24 AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Satellite images show a series of fires in the southwest Brazilian state of Rondonia on August 15 AP Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures A satellite image released by NASA shows the active fires that have been detected in the Amazon region EPA Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Indigenous people from the Mura tribe wallk in a deforested area inside the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Amazonas on August 20 Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Fire tears through a farm in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso AP Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows from a stretch of fire in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonia on 23 August AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows during a fire in an area of the Amazon rainforest in the state of Amazonas, Brazil Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Indigenous people from the Mura tribe wallk in a deforested area inside the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Amazonas on August 20 Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows from a stretch of fire in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonia on 23 August AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures A view of logs felled illegally in the Amazon rainforest are seen in sawmills in the Brazilian state of Amazonas on August 22 Reuters Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures A scorched patch of land in the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil on 20 August EPA Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Several fires are seen burning in the Amazon rainforest in this satellite image taken by NASA on 11 August AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures Smoke billows from a stretch of fire in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonia on 23 August AFP/Getty Amazon rainforest swept by fires: In pictures The sunsets behind clouds and smoke from fires in the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Rondonia on 18 August EPA

Brazilian military planes began dumping water on fires in the Amazon state of Rondonia over the weekend as the record number of fires continued to ravage the rainforests.

Since Mr Bolsonaro took office on 1 January, deforestation of the Amazon has risen quickly, with one group saying it has increased by 20 per cent in the past year, as he favours development and agricultural expansion over environmental protection.

Environmental groups say the Amazon fires have been deliberately started, as people clear the land to expand cattle farming, and Mr Bolsonaro has been accused of encouraging the destruction.

Ecosia, which is based in Berlin and runs its servers on solar energy, uses 80 per cent of its profits for tree planting and reforestation schemes around the world.

Working with local schemes, the non-profit company says it has planted at least 60 million trees in 15 different countries.

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The company told Business Insider that it normally sees around 20,000 downloads of its app and browser extensions a day on average but that spiked to 250,000 on Thursday.