More than 6,000 forest firefighters battling 116 fires around Mexico - Riviera Maya News (original) (raw)

Mexico City, Mexico — More than 6,000 forest firefighters are currently battling 116 active fires around Mexico.

The National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) reported the figures Wednesday, which were announced by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during his daily press conference.

“Civil Protection public servants are standing by so that if necessary, evictions can be carried out and people protected,” he said regarding the large number of current fires.

Of the total number of fires recorded at the moment, he said, more than 20 are located in the State of Mexico. In that state, the largest fire, which is located in Valle de Bravo, has been controlled.

A second fire reported in the municipality of Jilotzingo reactivated Wednesday morning and is being fought again by firefighters. Due to the ongoing fires, López Obrador said that the Secretariat of National Defense will deploy more members in the region.

“What we want is to be vigilant so that the number of fires does not increase and we can get ahead in this drought season that, since it has not rained, there is dry grass for the fires,” he explained.

During the Wednesday press conference, López Obrador reported that already this year, four people have lost their lives. “They were a police officer, a brigadier and two community members,” he said.