The first three months of 2014 have seen the loss of over 80,000 acres of Colombian forest during a countrywide drought, said local media on Tuesday.
MORE: Wildfires spread across Colombia
Carlos Ivan Marquez, Colombia’s director of Risk Management, said that most of the fires have been “caused by human hands,” and is asking for local communities for help in reducing manmade fires. Marquez told Caracol Radio that 185 municipalities in Colombia have been affected by the fires this year to date.
German Mirando, Director General of Colombia’s fire department, stated on Monday that the proliferation of fires during this extreme draught have been the consequence of ‘unscrupulous individuals,’ reported RNC.
Authorities are asking citizens to “be cautious” when entering forested areas, and to report fires as quickly as possible.
“We are maintaining a fire alert for the regions of Magdalena, Sucre, Córdoba and part of the Eastern Plains,” said Marquez.
These same areas have experienced harsh droughts in recent months.
MORE: 7 states in ‘red alert’ as Colombia drought crisis expands
Sources
- Incendios forestales han consumido 33.000 hectáreas de bosque (Caracol Radio)
- Siguen incendios forestales en Antioquia y Magdalena (RNC)