- Ecuador is one of the nations most affected by the fire that has burned more than 4,800 hectares
Smoke from forest fires in several South American countries will affect the air in several states of Venezuela for the next 48 to 36 hours starting Monday, September 2, according to Venezuelan meteorologist Luis Vargas.
The expert explained that the pattern of winds from the southwest of the continent favors the arrival of mild to moderate concentrations of smoke towards part of Venezuelan territory originating from forest and vegetation fires recorded in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
Vargas added that during the course of Monday the concentration of smoke will be more noticeable in the states of Apure, Barinas, Portuguesa and Cojedes.
Ecuador is one of the most affected by the fires
At least six South American countries have been facing the consequences of extensive forest and vegetation fires since the end of August. Ecuador has been one of the nations most affected by the fires, so countries such as Peru and Colombia have provided support to put out the flames in Ecuadorian territory.
A forest fire has been burning for more than days in southern Ecuador. The burned area covers around 4,800 hectares, according to the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) of the Ecuadorian government.
The fire started in the rural town of San Antonio de las Aradas, in the municipality of Quilanga. Fire brigades from the Armed Forces and the National Police are involved in the efforts to control the flames, with the support of some residents of the area.
The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry reported on Sunday, September 1, that Colombia has joined Peru in supporting Ecuador in putting out the forest fire in the Andean province of Loja, bordering Peru.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Colombian Air Force would send three BambiBucket units, designed for medium-sized helicopters such as the H145 with a capacity of 420 gallons (about 1,600 liters), along with two technicians specialized in the operation and maintenance of this system.
In addition, a team consisting of a C130 pilot supervisor, a loadmaster and a Caylim system specialist technician would travel to Ecuador with 10 Caylim system boxes.
Fires in other countries in the region
Firefighters in Bolivia have been working for at least 72 hours to extinguish the flames of the forest fires in the Chiquitania region. The San Javier de Chiquitos sector has been covered for several weeks with a thick layer of smoke and the smell of ash in the air.
On Thursday, August 29, a person accused of starting a fire on a sugarcane plantation in São Paulo, Brazil, was arrested. In total, at least 10 people were arrested for starting forest fires in that Brazilian region.
Police stressed that they are investigating the cases and that, for the moment, they have found no evidence that they are “related to each other.”
According to the National Institute for Space Research, the state of São Paulo recorded 2,316 fire outbreaks between Thursday, August 22, and Friday, August 23, almost seven times more than those recorded in the entire month of August 2023.
High temperatures, low humidity and strong gusts of wind caused the flames to spread in the interior of the state of São Paulo, in a serious episode that caused two deaths in Urupês and around 800 evacuated throughout the region.
One of the worst-affected areas was Ribeirão Preto, the eighth most populous city in São Paulo, with 700,000 inhabitants, where some residents abandoned their homes as the fire approached and flights were cancelled due to low visibility.
In Paraguay, a voracious fire broke out on August 25, destroying 37 homes in a community located in the Ricardo Brugada neighborhood of La Asunción. Paraguayan authorities estimated that at least 200 people were affected by the fire and will be relocated to temporary shelters due to the loss of their homes.
Venezuela installs surveillance system
Venezuelan Minister of Ecosocialism Josué Lorca announced on Saturday, August 31, the installation of a fifth surveillance and control system to detect environmental crimes, as well as forest fires.
“We are installing the fifth repeater system station in Cerro Arrojata, Cumaná (Sucre state), with the aim of guaranteeing immediate communication via VHF radios, from Caracas to all the states in the east of the country,” Lorca explained in a message posted on Instagram.
The minister explained that with this latest installation, 70% of the country is covered, including national parks and “strategic areas”, for the surveillance and control of environmental crimes, “communications in cases of forest fires or climatic incidents and the early warning system”.
On June 17, the Ministry of Ecosocialism said it was seeking to expand forest protection to combat deforestation caused by factors such as illegal logging and fires, through six environmental programs.
The ministry indicated in a press release that these plans include measures to involve communities in the protection and maintenance of forests and “thus contribute to the mitigation of climate change and the conservation of biodiversity in Venezuela.”
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2024-09-02 22:48:14
