Forest fire consumes forest in Mantua, Pinar del Río

A fire that broke out last Friday in Mantua, municipality of Pinar del Río, continues to gain ground despite the efforts of specialized forces.

As reported this Sunday by the telecenterTele Pinar, the fire is consuming the forests located in the southwest massif that borders the popular council of Montezuelo.

"Since Friday afternoon, the flames have spread with greater force through the area," states the note published inFacebook.

Forces of forest firefighters and the ranger corps of the municipalities of Mantua, Minas de Matahambre and Guane are working there.

The user Mantua Poder of the same social network revealed that on Saturday afternoon Alex Hernández, vice president of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power, and Yuraimy Pina Moreno, mayor of the territory, attended.

At the beginning of March, afire was active for more than a week in the vicinity of the national park La Güira, in Pinar del Río, where it destroyed more than 200 hectares of humid tropical forests.

Forces from the Forest Ranger Corps (CGB), firefighters and workers in the agricultural sector fought the incident that broke out in the municipality of Los Palacios, supported by tank cars and mechanized means.

Alexander Pereda, head of the CGB in the province, explained that control actions were 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.

"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 were protected.

Until March 10, Pinar del Río, the second most reforested province in Cuba, had reported more than 60 forest fires since the beginning of the year.

Three of them broke out on February 25 in mountainous areas of 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.