Fire in Eastern Cuba Under Control

Fire in Eastern Cuba Under Control

15 March 2010

published by www.escambray.cu

Cuba —  A forest fire of considerable proportions is under control, after affecting more than 700 hectares of forest of the Charrasco kind, highly valuable for its endemism in the area known as Melones on the plateau Pinares of Mayari, in this eastern province.

Julio César Estupiñán Rodríguez, president of the Civil Defense in the municipality, told ACN news agency that because of the sinister 21 families were evacuated to safe places and there were not human losses due to the event.

Estupinan stressed that there were severe damages to the economy, but appropriate measures were taken to prevent further damages to the economic objectives of the zone, as the conveyor belt that carries the raw material to the Rene Ramos Latour nickel processing, in Nicaro.

More than 300 people and numerous engineering equipments, Interior Ministry troops and forces of agricultural and construction institutions were involved in extinguishing the fire.

Favorable weather conditions led to the quick spread of the fire, with winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour on Saturday, causing damage to the ecology of the area, rich in plants and animals peculiar to this area.