Quintana Roo brigades fight first forest fire of the season
Othón P. Blanco, Q.R. — Although forest fire season for the state has not officially begun, fire fighters of Quintana Roo have already fought their first fire of the year.
Román Uriel Castillo Carballo of the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) says brigades were busy extinguishing flames in Othón P. Blanco after an intentional burn went out of control. The fire, which is reported to be 100 percent contained, quickly spread along the road to Huay Pix after people who set an intentional fire failed to create firewall gaps. When the fire was deemed out of control, they abandoned it.
“They did not know how to control it. They did not make the short fire gap as they should have and so they abandoned it,” he explained.
Castillo Carballo says 22 members of la Comisión Nacional Forestal (Conafor) took to battling the flames that resulted in the burning of 44 hectares. He says that unlike before, there is no longer a clear date for the start of fire season, noting that last year, they were still fighting flames in November.
