New Alarming Forest Fire in Camagüey

HAVANA TIMES — The Camagüey Ranger Corp declared an Alarm phase on Sunday in the eastern Cuban province, owing to “the strength and ability to spread” of a new fire that broke out on Friday in San Felipe Plateau, reported Juventud Rebelde.

Until yesterday, the fire had affected more than 700 hectares, from Highway Lesca moving in a southwesterly direction, spurred by rising temperatures, sustained wind gusts up to 14 kph, and the type of vegetation.

Colonel Benito Tena Macias, provincial chief forest ranger, had said on Saturday that, if not fully controlled the fire endangers the most important forested massif of the area, with approximately 500 hectares of pine trees.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the cause of the disaster was the lack of spark arrestors on a vehicle, like a previous fire, between the 7th and 14th of this month, which burned in the 8,232 hectares.