He Forest fire of great proportions active in a mountainous area of the Mayarí municipalitynortheast of Cuba, has caused severe damage to one of the largest coniferous reserves in the country, according to assessments by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma).
Joint forces of the Ranger Corps, the Air Force and other state agencies are fighting the fire that has so far damaged more than 1,000 hectares of forest, particularly in the El Prado mountainous area, located more than 700 meters above sea level, in Mayarí, referred this Sunday the Cuban News Agency.
This report quotes the Citma specialist, Reinier Ramírez González, who considered that the fire in the damaged hectares until today has negative consequences on the flora and fauna of the place, characterized by its abundant reserve of conifers, including pines and cedars. .
According to him Mayarí Citizen Portalthe abundance of organic plant material and the impact of the drought in the last four months have affected the spread of the fire, which broke out nine days ago.
Other factors considered influential are the gusts of winds of up to 60 kilometers per hour that made it impossible for helicopters to participate in the extinction work, and the complexities of the terrain that make access to the area difficult.
Cuba reported 284 forest fires in 2022 that affected more than 1,800 hectares of forests, the best record in the last 3 years, and 90% of them were caused, according to the Ranger Corps.
The majority took place in Pinar del Río, which has a forested area of 48.07% and is listed as the second most reforested area in Cuba, preceded by the eastern Guantánamo.
The origin of a good part of these accidents is attributed to negligence such as the unauthorized burning of herbs or sugar cane, vehicles without spark arrestor nets and the activity of poachers and fishermen.
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 4 million hectares of forests.
For this year, according to official estimates and by frequency indices, 320 to 445 forest fires are expected, which could damage 4,300 to 6,000 hectares in the period from January to next May.
