Santa Cruz declares disaster due to forest fires

The Governor of Santa Cruz, Mario Aguilera, issued the decree declaring Departmental disaster due to unstoppable fires that are ravaging the Santa Cruz region. “This situation demands it. We find ourselves in the need to declare a departmental disaster,” he read at the end of this afternoon.

This measure responds to the need to channel the support of the national Government and international aid to combat fires, which put human life, biodiversity and forests at risk.

In addition, the Departmental Health Service (Sedes) recommended this afternoon to the relevant authorities “consider the suspension of in-person classes in educational units of the most affected municipalities”, because this Saturday was the worst day of the year in terms of air pollution.

​The capital of Santa Cruz registers poor air quality, reaching a peak in the Air Quality Index (ICA) of 261 micrograms per cubic meter this Saturday, which makes it most polluted day so far this year.

Santa Cruz is the second department to declare a disaster departmental, since Beni did so on Friday.

The department of Santa Cruz has been ravaged by fire for three months and so far this year there have already been More than 3.3 million hectares have been affected. This Saturday 64 active fires were reported in 18 municipalitiesResidents are enduring dense smoke and in Concepción the situation forced the evacuation of nearly 40 families to safe locations.