The conflagrations left 48 hectares consumed and one person injured.
Photo: Cundinamarca Firefighters
It was a hectic Wednesday night for the fire departments in Cundinamarca. Three conflagrations, in Chipaque, Nemocón and Cucunuba, triggered the emergency sirens which, as always, were attended to by the fire extinguishing units available in the department.
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The most critical point occurred in the municipality of Chipaque, in which low stubble grasslands belonging to the native forest of the municipality were affected. Around midnight on Wednesday, 3 firefighter units from Chipaque, 5 from Une, and community volunteers managed to control the conflagration by 90%.
On the Nemocón side, a fire broke out that destroyed 10 hectares of forest. 25 units, including firefighters, civil defense, and officials from the municipality’s mayor’s office, quickly liquidated the emergency. However, a member of the Zipaquirá fire department, who supported the fire mitigation efforts, was injured with second-degree burns.
Similarly, in the municipality of Cucunuba, a forest fire occurred located in the Chapala village. As in the case of Nemocon, 10 hectares of forest were burned by the overwhelming pace of the flames. The conflagration, however, was controlled by the 5 mobilized firefighting units.
According to Captain Álvaro Farfán, delegate of the Cundinamarca Firefighters Federation, there are criminal hands behind the fires that were controlled in the last hours. “Unfortunately, the hands of man continue to be the main factor in forest fires in Cundinamarca. The ecological and environmental damage is irreparable and affects everyone equally, without distinction of social class, creed or political flag. Caring for and protecting the environment is the responsibility of all humanity,” Farfán stated.
As of April 17 of this year, the department of Cundinamarca has registered 470 forest fires. The highest in the last three years. The conflagrations reached their peak in late January and mid-February. In April alone, firefighters have responded to 46 forest fires in 23 municipalities.
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