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The Cuban Forest Rangers Corps (CGC) reported 111 wildfires in most provinces of the country between January and April 30, 2026, with a preliminary figure of 3,174.55 hectares damaged in both natural and planted forests.
The report, issued exclusively to the Cuban News Agency by the Fire Management Department of the CGC, reveals that four territories accounted for the majority of the incidents and accumulated damage.
Pinar del Río leads the statistics with 46 fires and 2,912.60 hectares affected, followed by Matanzas and Isla de la Juventud, both with 16 fires each, affecting 58 and 34.21 hectares respectively, and Artemisa with 14 fires and 67.74 hectares. This group totaled 162 incidents that impacted 3,072.55 hectares.
The provinces of Havana, Mayabeque, Camagüey, and Guantánamo did not report any fires during the period.
The most severe disaster of the season occurred on April 10 in La Lanza, a municipality in Minas de Matahambre, Pinar del Río. The massive fire in Pinar del Río was active for 12 days and destroyed approximately 1,700 hectares of forests, primarily pine trees, in mountainous terrain that greatly hindered firefighting efforts.
The situation was alarming: by April 14, it had already devastated more than 200 hectares in Minas de Matahambre; by the 15th, it exceeded 400; by the 16th, it reached 540 affected hectares in Pinar del Río, while a second fire in La Güira, San Juan and Martínez added another 60 hectares.
On April 17, with six wildfires burning simultaneously in the province, La Lanza had burned 612 hectares of pine. By April 19, the number had risen to 1,700 hectares, with the wildfire in Pinar del Río out of control. More than 200 personnel from the CGC and agriculture system companies worked to contain the flames until the fire was extinguished on April 22.
Rubén Guerra Corrales, head of fire management and handling at the CGC, described the incident as the largest recorded since January: "This has been the largest reported since January, and we cannot let our guard down considering that we are still in the critical period for the occurrence of wildfires."
The CGC warns that 90% of the causes of fires are human-made, although climate change exacerbates the risk. "The studies conducted and the experience of over 25 years show that in Cuba there are regions with conditions that allow for more intense and larger fires to emerge, not only due to the impact of climatic variability but also because of human irresponsibilities," stated the Fire Management Department.
The agency also warns of a change in the historical pattern: although the official campaign runs from January to May, the fires now extend into June, July, and August due to the prolonged dry period.
In comparison, the very active fire season forecasted for 2026 is currently less destructive than that of 2025, when between January and May, 290 fires were recorded nationwide, affecting 9,456 hectares, with Pinar del Río leading with 97 fires and 8,691 hectares damaged.
The official critical season lasts until May 31, so the final tally could still increase.
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