Bolivia, like neighbour Brazil, battles intense wildfires that have so far burnt 500,000 hectares
23 August 2019
Published by https://www.euronews.com/
BOLIVIA – Bolivian authorities warned this week that 70% of the department of Santa Cruz — where more than a quarter of the country’s population lives — is under “extreme risk” from forest fires.
According to the government, nearly 500,000 hectares of forest have now been turned into ashes.
President Evo Morales announced on Wednesday that a new environmental emergency cabinet had been created to tackle the blazes in the Chiquitania area which borders with Brazil and Paraguay
✔ @evoespueblo
Aprobamos la conformación de un Gabinete de Emergencia Ambiental para hacer frente a los incendios en la Chiquitania y el oriente. Además, he instruido la contratación de un Boeing 747 Supertanker para reforzar tareas de mitigación y apagado de incendios. #UnidosEnLaAdversidad
The three Latin American countries have been battling raging wildfires in the Amazon rainforest.
According to Brazil’s space research centre (INPE), 72,843 fires have hit the country’s side of the Amazon — an 83% increase on last year and the highest number registered since records began in 2013. The smokes from the wildfires on Wednesday caused an hour-long blackout in Sao Paulo, located 2,700 kms away.
READ MORE: Amazon burning: Smoke travels nearly 3000 km to black out Sao Paulo in middle of the day
Morales also announced that the government had hired a Boeing 747 Supertanker. The plane which can carry up to 70,400 litres of water is the largest aerial firefighting aircraft in the world.
Min. de Comunicación✔ @mincombolivia
Sumamos esfuerzos para mitigar los incendios en el oriente boliviano.#UnidadEnLaAdversidad
Min. de Comunicación✔ @mincombolivia
Vpdte. Álvaro #GarcíaLinera indica que en total habrá seis helicópteros,además del avión Supertanker con sistema de descarga de agua para redoblar esfuerzos por vía aérea, #GabineteDeEmergenciaAmbiental #SantaCruz #UnidadEnLaAdversidad
