The heavy rains during the latter part of last week have greatly assisted the efforts of various teams of firefighters either put out or control the many forest fires that were observed in NASA photographs earlier in the week. The fires at Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the Caribbean, and the Armando Bermudez National Park just north of Mata Grande in Santiago province have been put out. The fire in the Jose del Carmen Ramirez National Park, in San Juan de la Maguana is under control.
Minister of Environment Miguel Ceara Hatton says the fires have all been put out.
According to the Center for Emergency Operations Bulletin 15, there were 75 forest firefighters currently battling the fire in San Juan de la Maguana, assisted by elements of the Dominican Air Force, forest rangers, and the Ministry of Defense. All tourist activities in the mountain areas were suspended until further notice. The rains, nevertheless, came to the rescue.
In the Dominican Republic, firefighting activities are carried out under the Ministry of Environment. The regular firefighters are in charge of fires in the urban areas.
The fires are attributed to a perfect storm of several causes enhanced by the long-standing drought affecting the country since January 2023. Among the causes are: people taking advantage of the situation to clear out areas for real estate development; Haitians exercising their cultural practice of slash and burn to plant crops; politicians seeking to pressure the government; actual fires caused by small fires set to burn garbage and these fires spread due to the drought, among other causes.
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Ministry of Environment
Ministry of Environment
Ministry of Environment
Listin Diario
Listin Diario
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
10 April 2023