Three Die Fighting Fire in Southern Mexico
Three Die Fighting Fire in Southern Mexico
6 May 2009
published by www.laht.com
Mexico —
Three men died trying to put out a fire in the southern Mexican town of Santiago Tilantongo, the National Forest Commission, or Conafor, reported Tuesday.
Two of the victims were firefighters with Conafor and the third was a local firefighter.
The three men died Monday afternoon in the Mixtec Indian region in Oaxaca state.
Conafor said that the current forest fire season has been particularly difficult in the state of Oaxaca and has caused the deaths of five firefighters so far this year.
According to the weekly report issued by the National Center for Control of Forest Fires, from April 24-30 there were 497 forest fires in 26 of Mexicos 31 states affecting some 17,000 hectares (43,000 acres).
From Jan. 1 through April 30 this year there have been 6,180 forest fires nationwide affecting a total of 91,229 hectares (about 228,000 acres).
Mexico currently has 167,631 people registered as forest-firefighters.
