A large-scale fire, which the authorities have been trying to control for 10 days, devoured some 2,000 hectares of forests in a mountainous region in northeastern Cuba, local television reported Tuesday.
More than 1,300 members of the fire brigade and forest rangers, supported by army helicopters and agricultural aviation, are trying to contain this “large fire that has already covered some 2,000 hectares” in the province of Holguín, the television report said.
The incident broke out on February 18 in Pinares de Mayarí, one of the most important regions of the country in terms of biodiversity, located 730 km from Havana.
According to the television report, the authorities are working intensively to prevent the flames from spreading to the neighboring province of Santiago de Cuba.
“The speed of the wind has really prevented us from moving forward. The force with which the fire is coming is very strong,” said Dagmar Abad, a government official in Holguín.
According to local media, about thirty people have been evacuated in risk areas.
Lieutenant Colonel José Almenares, an air force helicopter pilot, considered that the situation is “complex” due to the conditions in which they work.
The strong wind and “the smoke that interferes with the actions we are carrying out” make containment work difficult, he explained.
On Monday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recognized “the courage and sacrifice of firefighters, forest rangers and residents who face in Pinares de Mayarí the fire that devours the beautiful and valuable forests of the eastern region” of the country.
Authorities have specified that it has not rained in that area for five months.
Forest fires are frequent in Cuba due to high temperatures, drought, as well as carelessness and irresponsible actions of people. The critical stage of these fires extends from January 1 to May 31.