Colombia’s environment minister announced the closure of national parks and a prohibition on cook-outs and bonfires, due to the country’s disastrous ongoing forest fires.
According to reports by Canal Caracol, the minister will be closing national parks to prevent more forest fires. The Comittee on Forest Fires has reported that 1,500 hectares of land have already been affected by recent fires.
The U.S. has pledged its help and support, and the situation has been declared a national disaster.
“Surely, as in other years, we can expect to see fires in Santander, Cauca, Cauca Valley, Tolima, and Huila because these are zones where tempretures are high and vegetation is dry, ” warned Carlos Costa, a press agent for the president’s office.
Regions most affected by the fire include Boyaca and Cundinamarca, but many parks are at risk because of an unusually dry season.
