Quito is experiencing a “critical” situation due to five forest fires allegedly caused by and forced the preventive evacuation of some 100 familiesauthorities reported on Tuesday.
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“We have more than 100 families evacuated for preventive reasons at this time, we have already had fire contamination in a few homes,” said the mayor of the capital of Ecuador, Pabel Muñozwithout specifying the extent of the damage to the houses hit by the flames.
He added that at least two firefighters have been injured and more than a hundred families have been evacuated from their homes due to the fires that broke out on Tuesday afternoon in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, whose authorities They do not believe they can be extinguished until Wednesday.
We have more than 100 families evacuated for preventive reasons at this time, we have already had fire contamination in a few homes.
In a joint press conference with provincial and national authorities, the mayor of Quito, Pabel Muñozexplained that the San José Board of Trustees shelter system has been activated to assist evacuated families.
The evacuation was carried out by cautionsince so far there are few damages to homes and infrastructure, according to Muñoz, who said that No fatalities have been reported.
The fire started in a rural area and soon spread along different fronts until it reached the urban center of the Ecuadorian capital and reached the Metropolitan Park.
Muñoz said that the following participated in the fight against the flames: 215 members of the Quito Fire Departmentwhom he described as “heroic”, and noted that some mobilizations have been made 440 people on the different fronts of the emergency.
Prosecutors open investigation to find those responsible for the fires
The prosecutor’s office opened an investigation to clarify the facts. According to the council, which this year has presented 13 complaintsa 99 percent of the fires in Quito are caused.
Felix said that in light of the “attack” suffered by the country’s capital, the Government will provide all its support to the City Council, while making a new call for citizens to help locate those responsible for the scourges.
The drought has also begun to cause water supply problems in some parts of central and southern Quito.
A series of similar incidents that occurred days ago in Quito, apparently deliberately provoked, led to the arrest of two people who were sent to preventive detention.
The national government suspended for Tuesday night the power outages that were scheduled in Quito as part of the rationing which began to take place last week, due to the severe drought that prevents the country’s main hydroelectric plants from operating normally.
The drought has also begun to cause water supply problems in some parts of central and southern Quitowhich have begun to register service outages of up to twelve hours a day this week.
According to the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inamhi) of Ecuadorthe country is experiencing its worst drought (dry season) in recent years 61 years oldwhich has facilitated the spread of fires, with more thanand 23,400 hectares affected by the flames since August.
Three weeks ago, four forest fires also covered several areas of the capital and its surroundings with smoke and ash. And two weeks ago, part of a forest on the tourist hill of El Panecillo, in the colonial center, was engulfed in flames.
New fires caused traffic chaos in the cityfollowing the closure of part of a strategic peripheral road that connects the north and south of the capital on the eastern side.
It makes me “sad for the animals, it hurts me for nature and it makes me angry” to see the flames, he told the Afp Mauro Terana 24-year-old student who was in the area of ​​the tragedy and I was trying to help.
Animal welfare units have joined the rescue teams to assist pets and wildlife affected.
The prolonged year-round drought in the South American country has caused 3,302 forest fires, which have burned 37,808 hectares of vegetation and left 14 people injured and 797 victims and affected, as well as 44,742 farm animals deadaccording to Tuesday’s report from the Risk Secretariat.
Of the 24 provinces, 20 are on red alert due to the “water crisis”which has affected some 40,000 hectares of crops.
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