Uncontrolled forest fire reported in Cuba

A large forest fire that broke out over the weekend in eastern Cuba remained uncontrolled on Monday, official media reported on the island.

A report from Radio Reloj indicates that there were “dozens of evacuees and houses damaged by the fire,” while the firefighters and rangers continued to work in the vicinity of a town called Pinares de Mayarí, in the province of Holguín, about 800 kilometers east of the Cuban capital, he added.

The fire initially advanced over some 100 hectares of forests on Sunday without immediately reporting the causes, although it occurs in a context of severe droughts on the island. According to the authorities, January was a fairly active month for fires in the country.

“The density of the smoke in Pueblo Nuevo decreases and the neighbors are safe,” the journalist from the local Mayarí radio station, Emilio Rodríguez, wrote on his Facebook account. “The strategy of the forces that fight it seeks to stop the passage to the areas near the La Presa camp, the Mountain Research Center and the Motel,” he added.

The area is mostly rural and sparsely populated, but two communities – Vivero Dos and Pueblo Nuevo – with some 600 inhabitants are in the vicinity of the incident, he added.

Photographs of the area show large columns of smoke and tongues of fire coming from among the trees, in one of the most forested regions of the country, according to media reports.

A report by Cuba’s Forest Rangers last week indicated that more than 80 forest fires were reported nationwide in January, which coincides with the start of the dry season that runs through May. 87% of these fires were extinguished before reaching five hectares, he explained.

The most affected provinces were Pinar del Río and Artemisa, in the west, and Camagüey and Holguín, in the center and east. 90% were started by human action such as uncontrolled burning, poachers, irresponsible smokers and vehicles that released a spark, he reported.

The Caribbean nation reported some 280 forest fires throughout 2022.

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