Cancun, Q.R. — More than 250 hectares of scrub has been consumed by a Cancun wildfire. The fire named La Aldea began burning earlier this week along a section of the Cancun highway that runs toward Merida.
According to the State Fire Management Center (CEMF), the fire, which continues to burn, is threatening area water wells and electrical cables that belong to Aguakan. Those water wells and power cables send water to hundreds of area homes.
On Tuesday alone the fire traveled more than 50 kilometers due to the arrival of strong winds.
Aquileo Cervantes Álvarez, the Director of the Cancun Fire Department says they have been called in to assist in combatting the growing fire. Álvarez says personnel from their department have been collaborating with the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) to fight the fire, which Conafor has officially declared the city’s first forest fire of the season.
“Right now we have a fire declared by Conafor as a forest fire. We are supporting Conafor, firefighters and Civil Protection, who are there working along the highway.
“There are around 250 hectares affected already. They have two brigades there working to avoid vehicle mishaps due to the poor visibility with all the smoke, so that is what we are working on,” he said.
Álvarez says while they have fought other wild fires on the city outskrts this season, they have been small, between one and three hectares. However La Aleda, due to its size, has been declared a forest fire.
Every day, he says local authorities deal with an average of six fires which are usually brush fire started by intentional garbage burns that became out of control.