Peruvian President Dina Boluarte declared a state of emergency in three regions of the country where a wave of wildfires spread destroying thousands of hectares of forest.
The National Institute of Civil Defence reported 34 active forest fires that have killed 16 people and injured 140 since July. 337 animals also died as a result of the disaster.
Most of over 230 wildfires recorded in recent days have been caused by human activity. Boluarte suggested that ancient cultural practices of preparing land for cultivation and expanding agricultural boundaries were among the causes of the fires.
She stated that about 80 per cent of them were “controlled.” The three most affected regions are San Martin, Ucayali, and Amazonas, which the president said are difficult for aerial firefighting aircraft to reach due to difficult atmospheric conditions.
Count on us. You are not alone. But let us not cause more fires.
According to experts, it has become one of the worst droughts in the last ten years. The President reported that 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid had already been sent to Iquitos to address water shortages caused by the lack of rain.
