Members of the Cuban Ranger Corps (CGB) of the Ministry of the Interior continue the work of extinction of a Forest fire that has spread through the mountainous area of the province of Pinewood of the riverwhere since last January 67 accidents of this type have been registered.
The deputy head of that body, Andy Luis Valle, confirmed to the Prensa Latina (PL) agency that the fire started last Friday in areas close to the La Güira National Park, a recognized place of recreation for its landscape, cultural and historical values.
??? Members of the Ranger Corps of #Cuba (CGB) today fight a new forest fire in the western province of #Pinewood of the riverwhere 67 accidents of this type have been registered since last January. pic.twitter.com/jU23LuAGv6
– TelePinar (@TelePinar) March 9, 2023
The newspaper specifies that the flames have spread through some 200 hectares of broadleaf or humid tropical forests, and that they are already damaging land in the Mil Cumbres Protected Area.
The CGB forces and agricultural workers who support the work try to prevent the fire from spreading to the town of San Diego de los Baños.
Those directing the work on the ground assured PL that mechanized means will come into action during the next few hours in order to preserve the source of water supply to the population of San Diego de los Baños, whose pipes cross the site of the incident.
Historical records of the CGB show the high occurrence of forest fires since the beginning of 2023. The province of Pinar del Río is one of the most affected.
PL recalls that the Pinar del Río territory is facing an intense drought and that the forests retain high volumes of undergrowth after the passage of Hurricane Ian on September 27, among the causes that usually trigger this type of fire during a critical period that ends in the month of May.
Other forest fires have affected various points of the Cuban geography in recent days, but the most intense is located in Pinares de Mayarí, in the eastern part of Cuba. your damages it will take decades to recoveraccording to experts.
That fire in Holguin territory, which consumed more than 5,000 hectares of forest, was recently declared controlled, although not extinguished, according to local media reports on Monday.
“At the moment there is a control, with identified risks, of the forest fire. It is not completely extinguished yet, but as a result of the constant action of courageous people, progress is in the right direction”, Indian the local newspaper Now!
According to the available CGB statistics, in 2022 Cuba reported 284 forest fires that affected more than 1,800 hectares of forest; of them, 90% were provoked.
