Bolivia: Four national parks at the mercy of fires

Four national parks are threatened by at least 20 fires that have broken out in its plains Bolivia. At least 16 large outbreaks are located in Santa Cruz province and another 4 in Beni province, which expanded yesterday, boosted by winds of 90 kilometers per hour, which prompted the country’s meteorological service to issue emergency warnings.

The fires in Santa Cruz, raging in three protected forests, do not seem to be extinguished despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters, residents and volunteers.

According to Jovenca Rosado, natural reimgs coordinator in Santa Cruz, a helicopter is expected to arrive to assist efforts to demarcate the fires. More than ten municipalities in Santa Cruz have declared a “state of disaster because of the fires,” he added. Rosado warned that “73% of the province” faces “extreme fire risk”.

45,000 acres were charred

Firefighters, armed forces units and volunteers are working tirelessly to control wildfires in northern Bolivia’s Beni province. They use heavy machinery to fight fires, open trenches to prevent the spread of fires, according to Sandro Enriquez, responsible for forests in Beni, APE-MPE reports, citing Reuters.

Four municipalities in Beni have declared a state of emergency. The fires charred over 45,000 acres. The biggest cities in Beni have been covered in smoke and residents are suffocating.

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