Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Weekend rains that hit a majority of the state have been helpful in fighting forest fires. State Civil Protection head Darwin Covarrubias says the rains helped extinguish a remaining fire in the southwest.
Covarrubias said the weekend rain from cold front 42 was crucial in fully extinguishing the forest fire affecting a large area of jungle south of Playa del Carmen. According to the official, the fire had scorched 435 hectares and was 50 percent under control when the rains hit. “Thanks to the rain we were able to completely extinguish this fire which kept us working for three weeks,” he said.
Twenty-six firefighters from the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) along with members of the Fire Department and Civil Protection participated in the containment and forest fire fighting efforts.
Due to difficult terrain, a Citizen Security Secretariat (SSC) helicopter was used to fly over the affected area and gain a more accurate view of the fire’s progress. He says they will continue to monitor the municipality’s forest areas during this season of high temperatures and drought.
