Colombia’s Office for the Prevention and Attention of Disasters (SIGPAD) said Tuesday that ten wildfires are currently burning in the Colombian courtyside, with almost 65,000 hectares of land devastated since January 1 of this year.
According to SIGPAD, fires have affected 386 of Colombia’s 1102 municipalities in 26 departments. Fires continue to burn in the Antioquia, Cundinamarca and Meta departments.
Fires have incinerated more than 100 hectares in Tenjo, Cundinamarca, where 300 firemen, the army and even flower cultivators have banded together to try to get the blaze under control.
Colombia is experiencing a particularly dry period due to the El Niño phenomenon. Drought bakes the Colombian countryside and uncharacteristically high temperatures of more than 40 degrees have been recorded around the country.
Dengue fever-related deaths are skyrocketing in Colombia, due to conditions created by the drought. The Colombian cities of Cali and Villavicencio and the whole Tolima department have declared a state of health emergency over the deadly mosquito-transmitted disease.
