QUITO, Sept 2 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — The Ministry of Economy and Finance of Ecuador announced that it transferred 577 thousand dollars to the municipalities of Quilanga and Sigchos where forest fires persist today after devastating thousands of hectares.
In Quilanga, in the southern province of Loja, the emergency has not been fully controlled for more than a week and so far the flames have consumed more than 4,600 hectares, including coffee crops and pastures.
Teams of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Air Forces have been working together since Saturday to fight the flames, while at the Catamayo Airport they established a joint command post to coordinate the arrival of aid from the neighboring country.
Meanwhile, the situation in Sigchos, in the Andean province of Cotopaxi, is similar and the fire has been burning vegetation for a week.
On Friday it was estimated that the fire was 90% controlled, but the flames were reactivated on Saturday morning due to strong winds.
From January to date, 1,994 forest fires have been registered in 19 provinces, and have caused the loss of 18,332 hectares of vegetation cover and more than 20,000 dead animals.
According to the SGR, August was the most affected month, followed by July.
Forest fires in Ecuador usually occur at this time of year, when rainfall is scarce. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA
