Fires destroy 2000 hectares of forest, hinder virus fight

At least 2,000  hectares of three forest reserves in the Herrera province have been destroyed weekend by plant mass fires in recent days.

They are the El Camarón Forest Reserves in Ocú, El Pedregoso in Pesé and El Montuoso de Las Minas.

Alejandro Quintero, Regional Director of the Ministry of Environment reported that to date there have been more than 50 fires of plant mass in the province.

“Fires are destroying shrub, woodland, and herbaceous vegetation and causing serious damage to the diversity of native species,” said Quintero.

Park rangers, forest brigade members, environmental volunteers, local authorities and citizens who join in the extinction efforts have helped reduce the damage said, Quintero.

He said that fires affect not only the protected areas of the region but also disrupt food security and citizen health, especially at this time, when the country is focusing its efforts to fight the Coronavirus pandemic that affects us and sanctions are being applied to anyone causing plant mass fires.