Drought, insect invasion and now forest fires devastate forests

The forests of the Central Mountain Range, often a verdant backdrop to most vistas, are now spotted brown with the onset of an Ips (beetle) invasion, as reported previously. Recent reports say that over 400,000 trees have been affected.

Several month of drought have seriously weakened the forests’ ability to withstand the onslaught. Making matters worse, now forest fires are raging in the area of Jarabacoa in the Cieneguita Hills. Brigades from Jarabacoa, Buena Vista, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, and soldiers from the Army are trying to control the fire. This is the second fire within a week, but the previous event was quickly controlled.

Atmospheric temperature models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) do not present a very good outlook for the near future, making the mountains highly susceptible to fire.

However, some rains have fallen in parts of the Cibao, lowering the risks somewhat, but not by any means ending the drought.

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11 March 2019