Wildfire threatens Colombia’s Villa de Leyva as authorities reinforce response
A fire on the San Marcos hillside has burned 40 hectares of native forest, with smoke visible over the tourist town as Colombia confronts 18 active wildfires.
A forest fire burning on the San Marcos hillside above Villa de Leyva in Colombia’s Boyaca department has consumed 40 hectares of native forest and is threatening the tourist town, according to Colombian authorities cited by Al Jazeera.
Smoke from the blaze is visible from Villa de Leyva’s central square. The source does not report that flames have entered the urban area, nor does it provide information on evacuations, injuries or damage to buildings.
The Boyaca government is dispatching two aircraft, while a military helicopter is also being deployed. Firefighters from Bogota, Tunja and Boyaca are joining local crews to contain the fire and protect the urban centre.
Villa de Leyva’s colonial architecture and cobblestone streets attract more than one million visitors annually, according to the source. Colombia’s national disaster risk management unit, UNGRD, says 18 wildfires are currently active across the country.
The fires are occurring during the dry season in the equatorial Andes, amid record temperatures, severe drought and reduced rainfall. The source attributes the heightened conditions to a severe El Nino pattern and reports that climate change may be intensifying its effects.
