GFMC: México – Wildfire statistics extract: January 1st to April 19th, 2001
México: Mexican RepublicWildfire Statistics Extract
January 1st to April 19th, 2001.
Source: General Directorate for Forestry, Forest Protection Office
Tab.1. Number of wildfires and area burned in México.
Tab.2. and Fig.1. Comparison of wildfire statistics: Number of wildfires
for the period 1996-2000 (long-term average), the extreme fire year 1998,
last year (2000) and this year (January 1st- April 19th).
Tab.3. and Fig.2. Comparison of wildfire statistics: Area burned by wildfires (in ha) for the period 1996-2000 (long-term average), the extreme fire year 1998, last year (2000) and this year (January 1st- April 19th).
Tab.4. Difference from 2001 to for the period 1996-2000 (long-term average), the extreme fire year 1998, last year (2000) and this year (January 1st- April 19th).
Tab.5. and Fig.4. Distribution of the average number of wildfires in México during the months January (E) to October (O) for the period 1995-2000 and the year 2000. 93% of the affected areas are mainly grassland and brushland, and 7% of the area burned are tree forests and other wooded lands.
Impressions of fire use, wildfire effects and fire suppression in Mexico:
Fig.2. Area burned by a large wildfire in the Mexican state of Puebla in 1998. The fire was started by the fireworks of a religious procession. The extreme fire behaviour (fast spread) caused the death of 18 people while they tried to control it.
Fig.1. A view of the ancient method of the “Roza, Tumba y Quema” (cut, chop and burn), used to clear large areas of forest or jungle and prepare them to agricultural purposes. This area has not been burned but we can see the large accumulations of fuel.
Fig.3. SEMARNAT and military crews working together in a control line.
The cooperation between these two agencies has given good results adding
the resources to each other.
Daily updated fire weather and fire danger information in Mexico are provided under the GFMC Global, Regional and National Fire Weather Forecasts.
