Forest fire out of control threatens towns in Holguín

And Forest fire of large proportions that has not been able to be controlled since Saturday in the mountainous area of Pinares de Mayarí, in the province ofHolguin, forced the evacuation of residents in the area.

The smoke has reached thetowns of Vivero 2 and Pueblo Nuevo, where more than 600 people live, very close to the Mensura-Piloto National Park.

The accident is causingconsiderable damage to forest plantations, and the residents of the area claim that “they have never seen anything like it,” according to journalist Emilio Rodríguez Pupo on social networks.

Combined forces of the fire brigade, forest rangers, agroforestry workers and the population residing in the area are fighting the incident, whichhit with intensity this Sunday, stimulated by the winds.

“The strong gusts of wind and the drought faced by that territory, in which rainfall has been very scarce for around four months, make it more difficult to confront the incident,” stressed Rodríguez Pupo, who has shared shocking images on his social networks. of the accident.

The aforementioned source indicated that in the last few hours the density of the smoke in Pueblo Nuevo has decreased and that the neighbors are safe.

The reporter also specified that the strategy of those fighting the fire is to stop the passage towards the nearby areas of the La Presa camp, the Mountain Research Center and a motel located in the area.

During the night of this Sunday, Ernesto Santiesteban Velázquez, member of the party's Central Committee and First Secretary in the province of Holguín, visited the area accompanied by other local authorities and verified the actions to guarantee the safety of the people who live in the towns. threatened, among them La mensura.

Mainly children, pregnant women and elderly people have been evacuated to safer places, taking into account the effects that the polluting gases caused by the fire can cause.

Idania Perdomo Guerrero, head of the Forest Ranger circuit in Pinares de Mayarí, described the situation of confronting the fire as "complex", the magnitude of which can be seen in satellite images.

During the last hours, a bulldozer from ECOI 16 was incorporated to support the construction of firebreak trails. The use of the air force is expected this Monday morning.

The damage assessed so far is related to cubensis pine and coffee plantations.

On January 25, another fire broke out in Mayarí, in that case in Llaneta del Prado, where an impact of more than 1,100 hectares was recorded.

In January, a record number of forest fires were recorded in Cuba, according to the historical records of the Cuban Forest Ranger Corps for that month, with more than 80 incidents, as reported at a meeting of the Coordinating Group of the 2023 National Campaign.

According to the aforementioned source, 87% of the fires were extinguished before five hectares. The most affected provinces were Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Holguín, Camagüey and the Isla de la Juventud Special Municipality (MEIJ).