Tepoztlán, Morelos — Federal officials are investigating the source of a forest fire that left nearly 6,000 square meters burned. The March 6 fire is believed to have been started intentionally.
The Federal Attorney General’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) is collaborating with the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) on an investigation into the alleged arson of a forest fire in the municipality of Tepoztlán, Morelos.
In this collaboration, Profepa is providing technical information, expert reports and field data to help the FGR determine the environmental damage caused and establish potential legal liability.
The incident occurred on March 6th when a forest fire brigade and Public Security officers from the municipality of Tepoztlán detained an individual who was allegedly starting fires on a property with tropical deciduous forest vegetation.
This resulted in a fire breaking out near the Cacaloapan neighborhood, within the Tepoztlán ejido (communal land). The individual was turned over to the Federal Public Prosecutor in Cuernavaca, Morelos.
In response to these events, inspectors from Profepa visited the site on March 7 to conduct a technical verification. During the visit, they identified the type of vegetation affected, delimited the impacted area, and made a preliminary estimate of the damage caused by the fire.
According to the inspection carried out, damage was observed on an approximate surface of 5,971.99 m², derived from clearing, slashing and burning activities (agricultural practice), which damaged the herbaceous and shrubby strata of low deciduous forest vegetation.
The affected area is located within the National Protected Area, Chichinautzin Biological Corridor, which is part of the region known as Bosque de Agua. It is an area of high environmental value due to its importance in the conservation of forest ecosystems and in the recharge of aquifers that supply different regions of the center of the country.
Fires have repeatedly broken out in Tepoztlán, affecting large areas of forest ecosystems. According to the National Forest Commission, these fires have been intentionally set to clear land for cultivation or to subdivide and sell plots for residential development.
As part of the institutional collaboration, Profepa prepared the technical forestry report requested by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office, which was integrated into an investigation.
Forest fires caused by the improper use of fire or unauthorized burning can constitute environmental crimes and cause serious damage to ecosystems. Therefore, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection urges the public to avoid these practices and comply with current forestry and fire management regulations.
