BOGOTA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said Wednesday that 18 wildfires remain active across four departments as El Nino conditions continue to fuel dry weather.
In a post on X, the agency said 10 of the active fires are in Tolima, five in Narino, two in Cundinamarca and one in Valle del Cauca.
Tolima is the hardest-hit department, with more than 20,000 hectares burned after 26 days of wildfire emergency conditions. Local officials have called for additional aerial support, while the army has deployed military engineers to help contain active fire zones.
Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara said the fires intensified overnight in the municipalities of San Luis and Coello, where emergency crews worked into the early morning to protect homes and power transmission towers.
Firefighters, civil defense teams, soldiers, police and residents are working on the ground, Lara wrote on X, adding that there are also signs of criminal activity and that police have arrested two suspects.
Farmers in Tolima have reported heavy losses to lemon and avocado crops and urged authorities to step up firefighting efforts before the flames reach their homes.
The wildfires began in early August with the onset of El Nino conditions, which authorities say could last until March 2027. ■
