Large forest fires, which have been raging for almost three months in Colombia, have so far destroyed at least 17,000 hectares since last November, while there are still several fronts of active flames which are creating a smoke emergency in the capital Bogota itself, hit by the fires .
This was revealed by the local authorities, who attribute the calamity to record temperatures, which make this month of January the hottest in decades, and to the prolonged drought.
The Colombian Minister for the Environment, Susana Muhamad, said that there were still 26 active fronts since last Monday and that the fires since November have been over 340 in total.
The flames reached very close to Bogota, less than a kilometer from the El Paraiso neighborhood, where several inhabitants - the Colombian Red Cross reports on X - were hospitalized due to the effects of smoking.
Furthermore, the mountain forests of the Nevada y Cocuy natural park, 250 km from the capital, are burning.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, declared a natural disaster in recent days, diverting funds intended for other public sectors towards fighting the fires.
Yesterday the El Dorado international airport in Bogota was completely reopened, after activities were limited due to smoke, leaving 138 flights grounded.
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