A fire that broke out Tuesday in the northeast of Quito, the capital of Ecuador, forced the evacuation of dozens of people whose homes were threatened by the flames, municipal authorities reported. Given the magnitude of the incident, in-person classes were also suspended for Wednesday throughout the city.
The most aggressive fire started around midday in the foothills of a steep slope in Guápulo, a small town northeast of the capital, and caused trees between 10 and 15 meters high to gradually catch fire, turning them into gigantic lighters.
Mayor Pabel Muñoz said that “we are classifying these acts as criminal and terrorist acts,” which is why “more than 100 families have been evacuated, mainly for preventive reasons,” in addition to two injured firefighters. He clarified that so far there are no deaths.
Speaking to the press earlier in the day, Muñoz said it was highly likely that the fire would not be brought under control overnight due to summer winds, while firefighters said they had deployed “more than 460 personnel and 130 vehicles” to control the seven active fires in different areas of Quito, the largest of which were in the La Forestal area in the south of the city, in La Tola in the center, and in Guápulo.
For her part, Interior Minister Mónica Palencia asked citizens for information to locate those responsible and those who were complicit in these incidents, and offered a reward, of which she did not give details.
During the afternoon, the fire spread to several residential areas and smoke could be seen for miles, forming a grey blanket over the city, while dozens of families from different sectors were evacuated due to the risk that the flames would reach their homes. Among the affected areas is Bellavista —a neighborhood located at the top of a hill— and González Suárez, an exclusive sector in which large buildings line the length of the ravine.
In both sectors, dozens of residents and police officers were seen trying to help the firefighters.
IN PHOTOS | Emergency in Quito: forest fire affects homes and fills the city with smoke
The serious fires in Quito, Ecuador, forced the cancellation of the school day in the city. Authorities are investigating whether criminals were involved.
Due to the magnitude of the fire, which also affected air quality, authorities ordered the suspension of in-person classes for schools and colleges in the city.
The Ministry of Defense offered the support of 250 soldiers and two helicopters to fight the fire.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Azín, who is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, announced on Tuesday night that he will suspend his agenda and return to the country. “If it is found that this has been caused intentionally, those involved will be prosecuted for terrorism,” he said on his X account.
In recent weeks, Ecuador has been experiencing a severe drought that has been identified by the government as the worst in more than six decades and has also created the conditions for the spread of large forest fires that have already consumed nearly 37,000 hectares in recent weeks, 16,000 of them in the province of Loja, bordering Peru.
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