33 forest fires are burning across the country: Civil Protection

Throughout the Mexican territory there are 33 active forest fires, with 4,278 hectares of forest affected and approximately 1,513 people fighting the fires, reported the National Civil Protection Coordinator, Laura Velázquez Alzúa.

(Protección Civil).- The official statement highlighted that 10 helicopters are being used to deal with those forest fires that have a higher risk, and that 10 of the 33 active forest fires have special surveillance by federal and state authorities.

Among these events is the fire in the Tepozteco hills, in the state of Morelos, and in the La Primavera protected area, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, which was still active as of March 24 and in the process of being controlled.

Civil Protection indicated that there are currently ten main fires: La Concordia, Chiapas; Castanos, Coahuila; Ocampo, Durango; Mexquitic de Carmona, San Luis Potosi; and Gómez Farias, Tamaulipas.

The Drought Monitor in Mexico reported this week that the rainfall deficit caused the drought to increase from 13.1 to 30.4 percent between February 15 and March 15 and to decrease by 5,888 million cubic meters of storage in the main dams.

The greatest impact is registered in the northern states of the country, and in particular in the border municipalities of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

The ‘La Niña’ phenomenon has affected the country this year, causing few clouds and a lot of evaporation, bringing drought to the north to the center of the country.

As of March 15, 531 municipalities in the country -21 percent of the total- suffered some degree of drought. Of these, 21 registered extreme drought conditions -11 in Coahuila, 5 in Nuevo León, 3 in Chihuahua, and 2 in Tamaulipas- and 2 exceptional droughts, both in Coahuila.

The Technical Committee for the Operation of Hydraulic Works reported that from January 1 to March 20, a rainfall sheet of 38.8 millimeters was registered at the national level, which represents a deficit of 29.1 percent compared to the average for the period from 1991 to 2020.

How to avoid forest fires?

• Taking care of the planet is everyone’s responsibility, so we leave you the following recommendations to avoid forest fires.

• Do not throw matches or cigarettes in the middle of the forest.

• Do not make fires, no matter how many precautions are taken, a small flame can cause a great fire.

• Glass bottles cause fires due to the magnifying glass effect.

• Do not leave anything flammable after camping.

• If you detect a forest fire, call the authorities.

• Do not park cars on the side of the road where there is dry grass.

• Put out the fire immediately, if you see a fire or the start of a fire, surround it with green branches or throw water or earth on it.

• Call for help immediately if the fire gets out of control, get to safety, and notify the authorities as soon as possible.

• Protect your life, when fleeing from the fire do not do it uphill, look for flat areas and walk in the direction of the wind.

• Cover nose and mouth with a damp cloth.