Uncontrolled burning causes more than half of forest fires in Cuba during January

Uncontrolled burning caused more than half of theforest fires occurred in Cuba last January, according to a note from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), cited by official media on the island.

In the first month of 2023, 53% of forest fires were caused by uncontrolled burning for different purposes, according to information released this Monday by the official newspaper.Granma.

The report also states that poachers and fishermen were responsible for another 25%; irresponsible smokers 19%; hive castrators 8% and vehicles without spark arresters 6%.

Likewise, they pointed out that the territories with the greatest incidents of this type were Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Holguín, Camagüey and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.

In addition, the fires that occurred in Loma del Hierro, in Camagüey, stood out, in which 657.8 hectares were affected andthe one that began on January 25 in Llaneta del Prado, Mayarí, Holguín, with an impact of more than 1,100 hectares.

During the first month of the year, 80 events of this type occurred in the country, the information points out, and 85% of these were extinguished before covering five hectares, for which the Cuban authorities consider that there is a high effectiveness in the extinction of forest fires, although the effects of the prolonged drought in the country, which is conducive to the spread of accidents, remain to be seen.

This Monday it was known thatthe large forest fire in the mountainous area of Pinares de Mayarí, in the province ofHolguin, still uncontrolled since Saturday, 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.