“Every day in 2023 we have had to fight more than one forest or field fire”
The firefighters have had “very intense” days, with more than 5 complex fires, simultaneously, that beyond the extension, which in some cases was not very significant, were fires that threatened homes and their inhabitants, with a very fast and violent.
At the end of January, the National Directorate of Firefighters carried out a balance in which it indicated that “the work” carried out by that body “has seen a notable increase this summer, since 2 of the 3 factors that affect the development of forest fires are they have modified and predisposed so that the ignition of the vegetable fuel is very easy, and there is a rapid propagation of the fire”.
Those two factors are “weather and fuel”.
Weather
Regarding the first, it is noted that “the low humidity of the environment, little or no rainfall, high temperatures and significantly strong winds, directly favor the development of fires.”
fuel abundance
This is added to the second factor, the abundance of “vegetable fuel, which is very dry, with little humidity and in many places, in stockpiles or clusters of dead vegetation.”
This allows the occurrence of “many complex fires, which require many hours of work.”
Fire risk maps in red
This described situation occurs “throughout the national territory, continuously throughout the summer, which increases the water stress of soils and vegetation in general”, which has been published by the National Institute of Meteorology ( Inumet) through its forest fire risk index maps. Such maps have “been practically in the red, for the entire country”, which means that we are facing “a very high risk”.
Firefighters adds that in 2023 “every day we have had to fight more than one forest or field fire.”
“We even closed the year 2022 with a forest fire that demanded 51 hours of continuous work, where the efforts of the 12 detachments of Soriano and Colonia (Cardona, Dolores, Mercedes, Juan Lacaze, Carmelo, Tarariras, Palmitas, Nueva Helvecia, José E. Rodó, Colonia, Nueva Palmira, Rosario), allowed the fire to be extinguished, affecting more than 300 hectares”.
“Days later in Tacuarembó several crews worked on the largest fire, so far this year, 538 hectares.”
The days of the firefighters have been “very intense, with more than 5 complex fires, simultaneously, that beyond the extension, which in some cases was not very significant, were fires that threatened homes and their inhabitants, with a very rapid and violent propagation, which demanded a lot of effort from the troops to control them, considering that they are fires that require several crews from various detachments”.
From 12/1/2022 to 01/20/2023: 1,829 field or forest fires
In the period between December 1, 2022 and January 20, 2023, “1,214 field/forest fires were registered in the Metropolitan Area, affecting 2,598.45 hectares.”
Inside there were “615 field/forest fires, which damaged 10,373.11 hectares.”
The total adds up to “1,829 field and/or forest fires, which affected 12,971.56 hectares of vegetable fuel”
On average, in 51 days, there were more than 35 fires per day, which compared to the same previous period “1,407 interventions of this type were registered, with the difference that after January 14 there was rainfall” that alleviated the work of the Fire Department. “Last season, we faced the largest fires in our history.”
“This year we have had a greater number of fires and they are still going on” with “environmental conditions that do not change”, which makes it more difficult.
Call to the population
Given this, the DNB expressed that its task is even more difficult, and for this reason “we resort to the collaboration of the population in not making fires of any kind, not burning the residues or remains of pruning or pastures.”
Burning is prohibited by decree 436/007, those who fail to comply can be punished with fines or imprisonment.
Those who observe an irregular situation or violation of the aforementioned decree, notify 911.
Firefighters urges “extreme care with the use of machinery, tools, equipment or vehicles, in areas with vegetation, since a small amount of heat can start a fire, such as ventilation, or heat release from engines, exhaust pipes , or due to normal or prolonged operation itself.
Also remember not to throw cigarette butts.”
