According to the statement from the National Fire Department, “all the crews of the closest detachments” were deployed on the site. Likewise, the head of said unit, Ricardo Riaño, as well as the commander for the interior, Martín Bogado, traveled to the site of the fire together with a forestry team from Montevideo and firefighters from Salto.
In addition, the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) reported that the director of decentralization of the portfolio, Luis Carresse, and the departmental director of Río Negro coordinated “support measures” before the fire developed in conjunction with personnel from the National System of Emergencies (Sinae).
The igneous focus took place in a field belonging to the Notarial Fund. The scope of the fire until last night was about 25 hectares.
As indicated by Radio Impacto de Fray Bentos, two combat planes and one monitoring plane were deployed from the anti-forest fire protection operation. Two helicopters, tanker trucks and crews from UPM and Montes de Plata also work.
Under control
After several hours of work, Riaño indicated that the situation “is under control.” At around 7:30 p.m., the chief indicated that there was still the presence of “sources within the burned area, hot spots in which we worked to extinguish. Likewise, we work to cool the entire perimeter edge of the fire.”
In statements recorded by the aforementioned national media, the head of the Fire Department highlighted the large presence of public officials and private companies (more than 200 people) to quickly extinguish the flames.
Riaño explained that the flames were limited to streets that allow officials to work more calmly to, with the use of heavy machinery, create more firebreak streets.
It should be remembered that at the end of 2021 in that area and other nearby ones there were significant fires. In the case of Algorta, the flames started when a vehicle carrying paintings burned down and the drought as well as the high temperatures encouraged their spread.
Regarding this fact, Riño explained that this was a “lesson learned” which served them to “prepare” for these cases.
The Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology warned this Wednesday about an increase in temperature and the risk of forest fire in the coming days. As he explained, between January 4 and 10 there will be little cloudiness and a gradual increase in temperature.
