The Ministry of Environment confirmed that in addition to the fire affecting the Cordillera Central (Pico Duarte), there are several others blazing in Loma Novillero in Villa Altagracia, in Macutico, in the province of San Juan de la Maguana and in Los Haitises. The Ministry says that the fires in the Cordillera Central have been tackled. Nevertheless, a special airplane is expected from the United States to assist in fire fighting efforts.
The Ministry says that the prolonged drought affecting the country creates the appropriate conditions for the spreading of the fires. The Ministry says that the conditions allow the spreading of fires that may have been started by small farmers to clear terrain for crops. Nevertheless, the Ministry does not discard the fires could have been intentionally caused by criminal hands.