MIAMI, United States. – The smoke from the fires in the cane fields in Cuba has traveled about 150 kilometers to the north and is reaching the Florida Keys, reported this friday the Key West headquarters of the National Weather Service.
“If you noticed a burning smell outside this morning and hazy skies, here’s why: Due to southeasterly to southerly winds, smoke from the sugar cane field fires in Cuba has been carried northward. This means that the smoke and odor have traveled more than 90 miles to reach the Florida Keys,” the Weather Service posted on its Facebook account.
In addition to the frequent fires in sugarcane fields at this time of year, large-scale forest fires have been reported on the island in recent weeks.
According to the official newspaper Granma, the forest fire that is still spreading in the center-south of the province of Holguín has affected more than 3000 hectares of forests. Pine trees, coffee trees and grasslands have been consumed by the llamas, which also affect the native fauna of La Mensura National Park.
However, the official media assured that in the next few hours the incident “could be brought under control in the next few hours, as a result of the notable progress of the actions to contain the flames, in areas adjacent to the Santiago municipalities of Mella and San Luis ”.
However, the authorities called not to stop the offensive against the fire, which could have a rebound due to the conditions of the land, the prolonged drought and strong winds in the zone.
During the past year, Cuba registered 284 forest fires that damaged more than 1,800 hectares of forests, according to data from the Ranger Corps.
It is estimated that 90% of these fires were the result of unauthorized burning of grass or sugarcane, the use of vehicles without spark arrestor mesh, and the activity of poachers.
