A large-scale fire has caused severe damage to more than 1,000 hectares of the El Prado mountainous area, located in the Mayarí municipality, Holguín, the official newspaper confirmed this Saturday. Granma.
The Forest Ranger Corps and the province’s Agroforestry Company tried to put out the flames “in the midst of the complexities represented by the rugged topography of the area and the difficulties in accessing it,” he said. “Brigades equipped with appropriate implements for their work have been introduced,” he added.
Elio Ramírez Torres, a Civil Defense specialist, explained that the abundance of dry leaves of the pinus cubensis –known as Cuban pine–, and the accumulation of remains after heavy rainfall leave enough materials for the expansion of the fires. It has not rained in the area in the last four months either, which facilitates fires in mountainous areas.
In the first hours of the fire, gusty winds prevented a team from flying over in a helicopter to assess the areas at risk and the possibility of pouring water to control the fire. It was not possible for drones to take off either, so the incident spread more quickly.
“There is certainty regarding the significant damage of the fire in the ecosystem, although the real magnitude will be known after the extinction of the flames and the evaluation of the environmental experts,” acknowledged the official newspaper that until this Sunday has not updated the information . Meanwhile, the Portal del Ciudadano de Mayarí assured that the fire started nine days ago.
The origin of a good part of these disasters is attributed to the unauthorized burning of herbs or sugar cane and the use of vehicles without spark arrestor nets.
In Cuba, the critical period for forest fires is from January 1 to May 31, coinciding with the driest season. This represents a threat to the country’s biodiversity with more than four million hectares of forests.
At the end of 2022, the Island reported 284 forest fires that affected more than 1,800 hectares of forests, according to the Ranger Corps (CGB), which ensures that 90% of the fires were provoked.
Manuel Lamas Gómez, head of the CGB, assured last January that fires of small proportions (83%) predominated, although some large proportions also occurred in the provinces of Pinar del Río and Mayabeque.
The authorities recorded that most of the forest fires developed in Pinar del Río, which has a forested area of 48.07% and is the second most reforested area in Cuba, only preceded by the province of Guantánamo.
The origin of a good part of these disasters is attributed to the unauthorized burning of herbs or sugar cane, the use of vehicles without spark arrestor mesh and also the activity of poachers.
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