In the midst of a difficult climate due to the detection of intentional outbreaks in the largest fire in the country and in the face of a heat wave that will increase the risk of forest fires, Firefighters will hold a coordination meeting with the National Emergency System (Sinae) , Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning and the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, said the director of Firefighters, Ricardo Riaño to Telemundo. One objective is to analyze the distances between forest plantations
They foresee “being able to define very technical data” and “elaborate something objective regarding those distances that have to be established”.
The fires unleashed in Paysandú and Río Negro at the end of last year were classified by the Fire Department spokesman, Pablo Benítez, as the largest fire in the history of Uruguay. The president of the Society of Forest Producers (SPF), Nelson Ledesma, stated on Channel 12 that the losses are equivalent to a year’s production. In total, some 37,000 hectares were affected.
Although today they are reduced to a minimum, Riaño’s announcements worried this Friday when he assured that five of the bulbs were produced intentionally. Specifically in the towns of Orgoroso, Pandule and Algorta.
Firefighters will increase the number of area tours with the support of the National Police and the Republican Guard: “we are going to intensify the necessary measures and precautions in prevention, intensifying the identification of strangers,” announced Riaño.
This should be put into operation quickly, since Uruguay -as well as a large part of the region- you will face a heat wave that will reach temperatures above 40 °, thus also increasing the risk of forest fires. There will be little cloudiness and minimal percentages of humidity.
According to the Brazilian meteorological observatory Metsul, next week will be one of historic heat records. “Maximum temperatures close to 50º C are expected in Rio Grande do Sul, central Argentina and Uruguay at the end of next week.”
On Wednesday, January 19, the Ministers of Livestock (Fernando Mattos), Environment (Adrián Peña), Interior (Luis Alberto Heber) and Defense (Javier García) must appear before Parliament to report on the actions during the forest fires. But prior to that, on Wednesday the 11th, Mattos and Irene Moreira (Minister of Housing and Land Management) will coordinate actions together with Firefighters and Sinae due to the potential forest fires that can be unleashed by the heat wave.
