Colombia has launched an appeal for international help to deal with around thirty forest fires raging in several regions and in the capital Bogota, where the flames are approaching a residential area.
Speaking to the press, President Gustavo Petro said he had
“activated the protocols for requesting international assistance”
so that the country could fight against 31 fires which on Wednesday had destroyed some 600 hectares of forest.
According to the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), 87% of the country - declared Wednesday in a state of
"natural disaster"
- is exposed to a
"maximum risk"
of fires.
Mr. Petro said the United States, Chile, Peru and Canada had already responded positively to Colombia's requests for help to contain the spread of the flames.
A total of 31 fires were active on Thursday in five regions of the country, according to Civil Protection (UNGRD).
Four of them are raging in the capital, where a fire on El Cable hill, on the eastern outskirts of the city, has spread to the outskirts of a residential area.
Air polluted by smoke
“The winds have brought him closer, but he is still more than 900 meters from the houses. We are monitoring it (...) If necessary, we will take evacuation measures
,” declared the mayor of Bogota, Carlos Fernando Galan, at the end of the day.
“The coming weeks will be difficult.
"Today we saw some clouds, but we still don't see any chance of precipitation
," he added.
As night fell, smoke enveloped the center of this city of eight million inhabitants where more than 300 firefighters, soldiers and rescuers were deployed to fight the flames.
The mayor called on
“the population around the fire areas to wear protective masks”
and announced the closure of schools and a university affected by the smoke.
“It really smells like smoke.
You can even feel it going down your throat
,” Blanca Galindo, a 69-year-old street vendor, told AFP at the foot of the mountains bordering Bogota, where many people wear protective masks.
The town hall recommended avoiding outdoor exercise, closing windows and, in certain areas, placing damp towels on the bottom of doors.
A record drought
Civil aviation reported that Latin America's largest air terminal by cargo volume was operating
"with restrictions"
due to smoke and morning haze, but that the situation was
"being normalized
. "
Some 138 flights were affected by delays on Thursday morning, including 48 canceled and 16 redirected to other airports.
Wild animals, birds, squirrels and raccoons, have been seen seeking shelter in urban areas.
Renowned for its biodiversity, Colombia is facing the influence of the El Niño climatic phenomenon, with records of heat, drought and fires.
“This month of January promises to be the hottest according to the historical data we have
,” declared Ghisliane Echeverry, director of Ideam, which has been recording the country's temperatures for 30 years, at a press conference. .
Nine municipalities in the north, center and east of the country recorded record temperatures of up to 40.4°C on Tuesday, according to Ideam, with January normally being the coolest month of the year.
“At present, there are 62 municipalities in a situation of water stress, that is to say where the fresh water capacity has equaled or is lower than the demand of the population
,” underlined Mr. Petro.
Since the beginning of November, 336 forest fires have been recorded in 174 municipalities.
And at least 6,618 hectares of vegetation have been devastated, according to Colombian civil protection.