Forest fires in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Santa Marta—located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia—have been raging for several days, devastating over 50 hectares of land. Caracol TV reports:

Subsistence crops have also been affected by the flames. An average of seven daily conflagrations have been recorded in the capital of Magdalena.

The fire, which is affecting the dry tropical forest and wildlife in the higher sections of the Sierra Nevada, is taking place between the towns of San Pedro and San Pablo. The devastation is evident, not only in grasslands, but also on homesteads where farmers harvest staple products.

The dry season has also increased the number of emergencies in Santa Marta, where they report “between six and seven daily fires in different areas of the city, including neighborhoods, lots, and surrounding hills,” said Captain Richard Chahín, deputy commander of firefighters in that city. Local authorities have asked the Air Force to lend them a helicopter so that they can control the fire from the air.

[Article translated by Ivette Romero. For full article (in Spanish), see https://noticias.caracoltv.com/caribe/incendio-en-la-sierra-nevada-de-santa-marta-completa-dos-dias-y-ha-devastado-50-hectareas-de-tierra]