(EFE).- The battle to put out a fire of great proportions in Minas de Matahambre, of the Pinar del Rio provincecontinued this Wednesday for the second consecutive day, with damage to some 200 hectares of forests, according to preliminary calculations.
A compact mass of forest makes it difficult for the forces of the Cuban Ranger Corps (CGB) and agroforestry workers to access the flames, which broke out at nightfall on Monday in an area known as El Paso del Cuero, explained the second chief of the CGB in the territory, Andy Luis Valle.
“We use fire-fighting trails with the help of heavy equipment, which is the only way to access the site where there is a predominant population of Caribaea pines that are over 25 years old,” the specialist told the state agency Prensa Latina.
Valle indicated that there is a high load of combustible material that contributes to the spread of the fire, also favored by winds that exceed 25 kilometers per hour.
Valle indicated that there is a high load of combustible material that contributes to the spread of the fire, also favored by winds that exceed 25 kilometers per hour.
Last March, a large forest fire broke out in the mountainous area known as Arroyo del Infierno, in Pinar del Río, which devastated more than 250 hectares of forest.
Between 2011 and 2019, the CGC, Pinar del Río, the province with the largest forest area in Cuba, has also been the area most affected by fires. About half of the surface of this province is covered by forests, with a large presence of the Caribaea pine.
In this territory, 51 forest fires were registered in 2021, with the loss of 214 hectares of forest.
In Cuba, the critical period for the occurrence of forest fires is from January 1 to May 31, coinciding with the period of greatest drought. This represents a threat to the biodiversity of the country, with more than 4 million hectares of forests.
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