The Ministry of Environment informs that firefighters and volunteers were able to put out on 2 April 2024 the forest fires in the Pico Duarte park area. The Pico Duarte is the largest mountain in the Caribbean and is popular with hikers.
The person in charge of the National Fire Management Program, Gerónimo Abreu, explained that despite having achieved control of the fire, personnel will remain in the area to ensure that fires do not restart.
“The fire was located in an area of difficult access, specifically north of the Palomino dam reservoir, between the Blanco and Negro rivers,” said Abreu. He explained that firefighting personnel had to be transferred to the fire area in two Dominican Air Force helicopters.
The affected area is estimated at around 2,000 hectares and an investigation process is being carried out into the causes of the incident. The authorities suspect the fire was caused by criminal hands since there are no agricultural settlements in the area.
Carolina Alba, director of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment, reported the reopening of the Armando Bermúdez National Park, which was temporary as it too was in the path of the fire.
“As the fire that occurred in the José del Carmen Ramírez National Park has been controlled, it no longer represents a risk for the Armando Bermúdez National Park, nor for its visitors, and its reopening does not hinder the liquidation and monitoring work that our forest firefighters, park rangers and volunteers are still carrying out, so the reopening today, Friday, 5 April 2024, is considered appropriate,” Alba indicated.
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Ministry of Environment
Hoy
8 April 2024