At Least 15 Dead Since July and Thousands of Acres Scorched as Wildfires Sweep Peru

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Wildfires in Peru have left at least 15 dead since July and more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of cultivated land and natural areas scorched, authorities said Monday.

Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén told reporters that the fires were started by human activity and that 22 of the 24 regions that make up the country have active outbreaks. He added that clouds, smoke and winds were hampering the operations of the aircraft available to fight the fires.

A Civil Defense report seen by The Associated Press indicates that since July at least 15 people have died and another 98 have been injured due to the fires. Of the fatalities, 10 died in the last two weeks and more than 1,800 people have been affected. The livestock sector was reported to have lost 334 animals.

See also  Colorado Wildfire Cause Evacuations

Peru’s National Forest and Wildlife Service, SERFOR, indicated that the effects of climate change intensify the conditions that facilitate the spread of fire.

“Extremely strong winds and prolonged droughts dry out vegetation, turning it into highly flammable fuel,” said Romina Liza, a specialist in monitoring and management of forest Fires at SERFOR. “This allows the fires to spread rapidly.”

Some of the most complicated fires are in the Amazon region, which borders Ecuador, the head of civil defense, Juan Urcariegui, told a local television station.

Topics

Subscribe to Our Monthly Newsletter

Stay in the loop with our wildland newsletter.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Wildfires in Peru have left at least 15 dead since July and more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of cultivated land and natural areas scorched, authorities said Monday. Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén told reporters that the fires were started by human activity and that 22 of the 24 regions that make […]

Get The Wildland Firefighter Newsletter

Related Articles

How Civil Is Your Station?

How Civil Is Your Station?

Years ago, I was at a national fire leadership meeting for the Forest Service. The fire organization was being accused of having a “hard shell” around it, and the non-fire administrators saw this as detrimental to our values as an organization. We were too tough they...

Forest Service Halts CA Prescribed Burns

Forest Service Halts CA Prescribed Burns

Jackson Guilfoil - Times-Standard, Eureka, Calif. Last Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service halted all its prescribed burns in California right as the wet season was set to begin. Citing the need to keep as many staff members and firefighting equipment on hand in the...