The Ecuadorian capital, Quito, registered 22 forest fires in the last 24 hours, one of them in the Tababela areaclose to the international airport “Mariscal Sucre”, whose operations are carried out normally.
The mayor of Quito, Pabel Muñoz, activated the Metropolitan Emergency Operations Committee (COE) in order to coordinate actions to control forest fires.
With cut off at 06:00 local time this Thursday, 21 fires had been attended to and extinguished, and one is in the control process (Puembo-Tababela).
“I don’t think we’re talking about a casual thingl but clearly of a certain parameter to want to affect the city”said the mayor of Quito, a city where a dozen fires were also registered last week.
For the Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, it is “striking” and “very strange that the fires (have occurred) in such a short time and at different points.
The Municipality of Quito has deployed 150 members of the Quito Fire Department.
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In addition, together with the municipal institutions, with the support of the Armed Forces and the National Police, 220 troops have been deployed, five helicopters, 41 tank cars, 14 vans and an ambulance, among others.
In the operations to control the fires, helicopters from the Fire Department, the National Police, and the Armed Forces have been used.
According to reports from the Municipality, the Metropolitan Control Agents Corps has carried out eight inspections of homes, without finding damages.
“The operations of the Quito Airport are carried out normally,” he said.
At the moment, the Unified Command Post is installed in the Tababela sector and the four technical work tables of the Metropolitan Emergency Operations Committee have been activated.
The authorities have recommended the use of masks in the area, mainly in children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems.
EFE
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