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Sierra de Santiago forest fire said to be out of control

Sierra de Santiago, Nuevo León — The massive forest fire in Sierra de Santiago has spread due to increased wind gusts. The fire is now reported as “out of control”. State Civil Protection said that the fire’s advancement due to the strong winds has residents on alert.

Due to the spread of flames, Nuevo León Civil Protection issued a possible evacuation alert for the communities of La Nogalera, Covadonga and Cola De Caballo.

According to the mayor of Santiago, David de la Peña, the fire spread more Tuesday night due to wind gusts that reached speeds of over 60 kilometers per hour.

The President reported that reconnaissance overflights are being carried out in Sierra de Santiago along with air drops in the area that goes toward El Manzano. At the same time, a fire break was made in the Covadonga area. In the area of Puerto Genovevo, a surveillance tour was performed to carry out liquidation tasks.

De la Peña reiterated that “the priority is to reduce the risk to the nearby population.”

The National Forestry Commission (Conafor) began to fight the fire in the area of the Matacanes Canyon with seven aerial teams. Likewise, 355 combatants from Conafor, the Secretary of National Defense, the National Guard and rural brigades were deployed.

According to the Commission, 4,000 hectares have been affected. To date, Nuevo León is the state with the most active forest fire, accumulating 26 percent of the damage currently caused throughout the country.

With this, the mayor of Santiago announced that the use of fire for recreational purposes, burning garbage and bonfires in the municipality is prohibited.