Vice Minister of Civil Defense Juan Carlos Calvimontes confirmed that two camps will be set up this Monday in the communities of Vencedores and Bajo Inicua with the aim of putting out the flames, for this, “44 forest firefighters have been deployed to carry out the final stage of fighting the Palos Blanco fire.”
He also commented that 112 fires were put out from June to October 29th and added: “Today they managed to put out the fires in Mapiri and Teoponte, so that we have entered the final phase of the fire in the municipality of Palos Blancos, which would be, at this time, the only one active.”
He reported that 3,825 forest firefighters from 46 military units were mobilized to this end, in teams that carried out 65 patrol operations. Six aircraft were used in these missions to discharge 329,950 liters of water.
Government authorities confirmed that police patrols will continue with the objective of identifying and apprehending those who light new fires, while the Authority for the Supervision and Social Control of Forests and Land (ABT) will promote the corresponding criminal proceedings.
The Ministry of Defense explained that, although the fires are under control, military units will continue sweeping the areas to prevent them from resurging or anyone from reigniting them up again.
jrr/llp/kmg/jpm
