Five wildfires burn in Santa Cruz, including three in San Rafael

Five fires are burning in Bolivia’s Santa Cruz department, including three in the municipality of San Rafael, according to the departmental government.

The other active fires are in San José, where one is under observation, and San Ignacio, where another is being monitored. Officials said crews had moved to the affected areas to conduct surveillance alongside community and municipal firefighters, despite rain in some locations.

Santa Cruz recorded 4,688 heat spots during September, according to the Forest Fire Early Warning System. Officials reported 13 heat spots on Sunday, while Monday’s figure had not yet been recorded because of cloudy conditions. The data was expected to be updated overnight.

“

We have five active fires. One is in San José, where it is under observation; another is in San Ignacio, where it is being monitored; and three are in the municipality of San Rafael.

The department remains under an orange alert for forest fires. Marisol Yabet, secretary for sustainable development and the environment, said protecting communities and biodiversity remained a priority.

As part of its prevention work, the Natural Resources Directorate has begun opening firebreaks in municipalities and provinces with frequent fires. Roberto Juchasara, a firefighter with the directorate, said the provinces of Germán Busch, Chiquitos, Ángel Sandóval, Velasco and Ñuflo de Chávez have provincial prevention plans that include building the strips.

The firebreaks are strategically cleared areas along routes where fires commonly spread. Officials initially focused on San José, Ñuflo de Chávez and Velasco, which they identified as areas with high fire incidence and greater risks to communities. The departmental government said it would continue monitoring the fires and prevention work to keep flames away from populated areas and environmentally important sites.

“

We are trying to create firebreaks to prevent the fire from continuing to spread and causing extensive damage to vegetation and biodiversity.