In the last week, several forest fires have been registered in the municipalities of Valencia, Naguanagua and San Diego. These have caused health problems in residents and extensive damage to the environment.
lapatilla.com correspondent
On the morning of this Monday, April 1st, more than 10 people continued working to fighting fire outbreaks in the upper part of Casupo Hill, in Valencia, and thus prevent them from reigniting in the afternoon, due to the strong winds.
Additionally, on the night of Sunday, March 31st, a fire occurred on Indio Desnudo hill, in the La Esmeralda urbanization, San Diego municipality.
The event was attended by the municipal fire department and municipal police officials.
In Naguanagua, on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 26th, a fire broke out on El Café Hill, which lasted for several days.
The first commander of the Fire Department of the University of Carabobo and Naguanagua municipality, Carlos Troconiz, reported that the high temperatures and strong winds are factors that complicate the work of extinguishing the fires.
This event was attended to by University Firefighters, Carabobo Firefighters, the Integrated System, Civil Protection, Inparques, Valencia Firefighters and personnel from the Naguanagua Mayor’s Office.
Restricted access to natural parks
In Valencia and Naguanagua, municipal authorities prohibited access of the general public to natural parks as a preventive measure while the period of high risk of fires continues.
Since Friday, March 29th, access to the Cerro El Café Tourist and Recreational Park, Cerro El Volcán and other destinations used for outdoor activities in Naguanagua is restricted. While in Valencia entry to municipal parks, natural monuments and areas of ecological importance located in the jurisdiction was temporarily prohibited.
Both municipal decrees establish that the practice of sports and recreational activities such as hiking, trekking, trail running, picnics, motocross, mountain biking, meetings, gatherings and religious rituals are prohibited in those spaces during the validity of the decrees.
Likewise, through a statement published this Sunday, the Municipal Environment Institute (IMA) of Valencia urged all administrators and owners of public and private land to comply with the obligation to keep them in a perfect state of cleanliness and cleared, free of solid waste and weeds, which can cause fires and pollute to the community and the environment.
It indicated that failure to comply with this obligation entails sanctions and payment of fees for cleaning, fencing or enclosing lots, through the procedure established in the ordinance on cleaning, maintenance and conservation of empty urban lots.
Community collaboration
The residents of the communities and civil society in general have collaborated with the different fire departments to fight the fire outbreaks.
This Monday, April 1st, the specialist in Risk Management and Disaster Administration analysis, Jacobo Vidarte, indicated that to support fire fighting work on Casupo Hill, were required personnel with very good physical condition to carry water from the entrance of Casupo Hill to the upper part to be delivered to the volunteers who need to hydrate and also to be used in the backpack sprayers.
Since last week, neighbors have organized to deliver bottles, containers and processed food to those fighting the fires in Valencia and Naguanagua.
Reforestation
Vidarte pointed out that this next May, the rainy season is expected to begin in the northern part of the country, so he thinks that the occasion is favorable to begin reforestation in many of the areas affected by the fires.
“It is very important that a specialist advise us on the type of plant according to the area, the distance between one and the other, depth of placement, monitoring system, among other aspects that will determine the success of these efforts,” he said.
He recalled that more than 95% of vegetation and forest fires are directly linked to human intervention.