Fires are now mostly forest fires; Government may declare Vaca Forest fire as an emergency

Published by BBN Staff at April 25, 2020

Posted: Saturday, April 25, 2020. 9:23 pm CST.

By BBN Staff: The Government informed today that as the temperatures again approached 107 degrees Fahrenheit, new fires began flaring up in bushes surrounding Belmopan, Benque Viejo del Carmen, and San Ignacio.

According to a statement from the government, these fires are no longer agricultural fires but are now wildfires burning in the forests and bushes surrounding these municipalities.

Almost all these wildfires are burning on private estates, except for the Vaca fire which is inside a forest reserve.

Given the high sustained daytime temperatures, the now wild uncontrolled nature of these fires, the absence of major rain in the forecast, and the state of emergency that is in effect, the Ministry is advising that the fire situation in the Cayo District is rapidly approaching the level of an emergency.

The Forest Department informed that it completed several ground reconnaissance missions in the Cayo District today and began outing fires in the J&W Estate area and in the Riviera Area of Belmopan with support from the Belmopan City Council, the Fire Department, and local businesses.

Another Forest Department team began addressing fires in the west around San Ignacio and Benque Viejo del Carmen.

Firefighting equipment from the Mountain Pine Ridge has been mobilized to address the wildfires in the Vaca Forest Reserve, including heavy equipment consisting of bulldozers and water trucks.

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