Forest fire has affected the vicinity of the national park in Pinar del Río for a week

A fire that occurred more than a week ago in the vicinity of La Güira national park, in Pinar del Río, hasalready destroyed more than 200 hectares of humid tropical forests.

Forces of the Forest Ranger Corps (CGB), firefighters and workers in the agricultural sector fight theaccident unleashed in the municipality of Los Palacios, supported by tank cars and mechanized means.

Alexander Pereda, head of the CGB in the province, explained thatsince last Friday they have been trying to contain the flames, but that control actions have been made difficult by the intense drought, winds of up to 35 kilometers per hour and the characteristics of the area, with the marked presence of mogotes.

"Currently, work is being done on the eastern front - the only one still active of the four conceived - to prevent advance towards the community near the national park and the Las Catalinas area, belonging to the Mil Cumbres protected area, in the municipality of La Palma and where there are many coniferous species," he revealed to theCuban News Agency.

"We are trying to direct the fire to the San Diego River so that the pipes of the conductor in charge of supplying water to the town of San Diego de los Baños where 6,136 inhabitants reside are not affected," he said.

For his part, José Ramón Cabrera Miranda, president of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power of Los Palacios, said that about 200 people residing in the nearby area are protected.

The manager assured that, however, so far there are no evacuees and the medical office in the nearby community, with around 60 homes, has the resources to provide first aid if necessary.

Thecauses of the event are still being investigated.

Pinar del Río, the second most reforested province in Cuba, has reportedso far this year more than 60 forest fires.

Three of them broke out on February 25 in mountainous areas of the territory, in the popular council of Pilotos, belonging to the municipality of Consolación del Sur.

Days later, firefighters and forest rangers, together with state entities, cooperatives and local residents, managed to extinguish the fire, which destroyed about 100 hectares of forest.