A fire devours Valle de Bravo. The four active outbreaks are located in the areas of Velo de la Novia, Cualtenco, El Cerrillo and La Carreta, all south of one of the most important tourist municipalities in the State of Mexico. The National Guard has activated an emergency plan to help the population. The latest report that the state Forest Protector (Probosque) released this Monday defines the fire as “active” while firefighters fight it. On social networks, several inhabitants of the magical town have reported the progress of the fire while Mexican institutions remain silent about their condition. The only one who has given a few details is the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who said in his morning conference that the flames in one of the outbreaks are 60% controlled, that they have affected six hectares of forest and that “no there is a risk” for the population.
The Security Secretariat of the State of Mexico (SSEM) reported yesterday night of the beginning of the fire in the town located to the west of the region, in an area dominated by forests on the border with Michoacán. Firefighters from nearby municipalities, Probosque and the National Forestry Commission worked on the fire during the intense heat wave that the country is suffering. The message issued by the SSEM explained that the work in the area had managed to “put out the fire.” However, twenty minutes later, the entity in charge of protecting the forests of the State of Mexico launched a publication with an opposite message. “Due to the rugged topography, three more fires will be fought tomorrow,” the statement said.
The entity reported this Monday that eight fires are still active throughout the State of Mexico, although no Mexican organization has provided information about the severity of the fires and how they originated. The official silence of the SSEM, Probosque and the Government of the State of Mexico contrasts with the videos that several people who were in the Valle de Bravo uploaded to social networks this Wednesday. In them you can see how the forests in the south of the municipality have several active outbreaks with high flames. This newspaper has tried to contact Probosque through the extensive telephone directory on its website, but none of the numbers have received the call. The same happened with the Valle de Bravo city council and Civil Protection of the State of Mexico.
The only one who has given more details about the fire was the president during his morning conference. López Obrador specified that one of the four outbreaks had been 60% controlled and that six hectares had burned so far. “The first thing I asked was for the population to be protected, they told me: ‘there is no problem, there is no risk,’” the president said. The National Guard has reported that this morning it activated Plan GN-A to help the population.
Valle de Bravo, a municipality of 61,599 inhabitants, is one of the most important tourist centers in the State of Mexico, where many inhabitants of the country’s capital have their second residence. Its main attraction is the forests that surround the town, through which rivers flow with impressive waterfalls where regular hikers come. A place that has lost its charm due to the low level of the reservoir located at the foot of this magical town, which is at 27% of its capacity. Now the threat also reaches the thick vegetation of fir trees, pines and oaks perched on the mountains in the area.
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