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Forest fires rage on in Tarija's Central Valley
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Environment & Climate

Forest fires rage on in Tarija's Central Valley

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Forest fires continue to threaten the Central Valley of Tarija, Bolivia, with five incidents reported in less than a week.
  • Firefighters are battling strong winds that are hampering control efforts for blazes in areas like Churquis, Erquis, El Portillo, and Quirusillas.
  • Officials suspect human activity, such as the burning of trash or dry grass, is a primary cause of the fires, leading to a yellow alert in the Cercado municipality.

The Central Valley of Tarija, Bolivia, is facing a persistent threat from forest fires, with five blazes reported in under a week across the Cercado and San Lorenzo municipalities. Two of these fires have been particularly significant in scale.

This week we have had three fires, in Churquis, Erquis, El Portillo and Quirusillas which is of great proportion.

— Álvaro BaldiviesoThe head of the Risk Management Unit for the Cercado Mayor's Office described the recent fire incidents.

Álvaro Baldivieso, head of the Risk Management Unit for the Cercado Mayor's Office, stated that three fires occurred this week in Churquis, Erquis, El Portillo, and a large one in Quirusillas. Firefighters from the Police and volunteer groups are struggling to contain the fires due to strong wind gusts, which are exacerbating the situation.

Recent incidents include a fire in Churquis that took two days to extinguish, followed by fires in Erquis Sud and El Portillo, which were controlled more quickly due to rapid intervention. Efforts are currently underway to control a fire near Quirusillas and Camarón, located in the Méndez province.

In this moment we are in Camarón trying to control, we hope to control it.

— Juan Alberto SalazarThe chief of the volunteer group 'Ángeles en el Fuego' provided an update on the ongoing firefighting efforts.

Juan Alberto Salazar, chief of the volunteer group "Ángeles en el Fuego" (Angels in the Fire), expressed exhaustion from the high number of fires. He noted that most fires are believed to be man-made, with some individuals accustomed to burning trash or dry vegetation. This has prompted the Cercado municipality to maintain a yellow alert, as winds in the lower parts of the valley reach 45 kilometers per hour and up to 60 kilometers per hour in higher elevations, making the firefighters' work perilous.

the majority of the fires were caused by the hand of man, since some people are accustomed to burning garbage or pastures

— Carlos GuzmánA representative from Bomberos Brasschaat lamented the human element behind the wildfires.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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