Bacalar, Q.R. — As wildfires continue to burn around the state, one in particular has the attention of officials as it nears the Ichkabal archaeological site in the south.
The General Coordinator of Civil Protection of Quintana Roo and Regional Coordinator of the Southeast Adrián Martínez Ortega, revealed that some archaeological zones are at risk due to the forest fires. He says one of the most pressing at the moment is La ruina en Ichkaba in Bacalar, where so far, they have been able to prevent the site from burning, however, they are still trying to extinguish flames, which to date, has consumed over 2,300 hectares.
Over the weekend, the state official explained “we are still working in Ichkabal. There, we have a very important fire that was about to affect the archaeological zone, so this is where we are working to make a fire breach. We have volunteer brigade members, navy personnel and a helicopter.”
He added that they are also tending to a forest fire in the Kohunlich area in the municipality of Bacalar, where they were successful in deterring flames from reaching the archaeological zone. That site, La Charra, has had approximately 800 hectares affected by the burning wild fire.
Ichkabal was the first in which fire reached the stones and stuccoes of the ancient Mayan city, which is older than Uxmal and Chichén Itzá.
