Published January 27,2024
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Forest fires have destroyed greater than 17,000 hectares in Colombia since November, authorities mentioned Friday, because the nation faces its hottest January in many years.
More than 340 fires have been recorded in that interval, spurred by extended drought, report warmth, and the El Nino climate phenomenon, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad mentioned, including that 26 fires had been nonetheless blazing.
Colombia has been battling a number of fires close to the capital since Monday, together with some within the mountains overlooking Bogota, and authorities have suggested residents residing near burnt areas to keep away from going outdoors due to the poor air high quality.
“Today, we have a fire in the Nevada del Cocuy,” a pure park with snow-capped peaks about 250 kilometres (155 miles) northeast of Bogota, Muhamad instructed a news convention.
She added that the flames had been at a “quite high” level within the park, so a helicopter had been deployed to evaluate the scenario.
SMOKE IN BOGOTA
One of the fires is burning about 900 metres from Bogota’s japanese El Paraiso neighbourhood.
Some residents affected by the smoke had been being handled, the Colombian Red Cross in Bogota wrote on social media platform X, alongside pictures of emergency employees serving to a person carrying a facemask.
President Gustavo Petro this week declared a pure catastrophe, permitting funds to be diverted from different price range objects in direction of containing the blazes, and appealed for worldwide assist.
Bogota’s El Dorado worldwide airport returned to regular operations on Friday after restrictions the day before today affected 138 flights.
This month is shaping as much as be the most popular January in 30 years, based on Ghisliane Echeverry, director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies in Colombia.
Echeverry warned February might see even larger temperatures, and solely in March will rains assist to “mitigate” the results of the intense warmth.
Authorities are investigating whether or not arsonists are inflicting a number of the fires, and police have arrested 26 folks for “fire-related offences”.
Source: www.anews.com.tr