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Wildfire Burns More Than 20 Hectares in Salinas y Aguada Blanca Reserve

Strong winds are keeping multiple hotspots active and hampering containment by municipal brigades, volunteer firefighters, COER and Army teams.

Overview

  • A wildfire began near the Pampa de Arrieros beside the ArequipaPuno road and has spread uphill toward kilometer 90, leaving more than 20 hectares of vegetation burned.
  • Firefighting teams from the Municipalidad de Yura, volunteer firefighters, the Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia Regional (COER) and the Ejército Peruano have been working on suppression since the blaze was first reported.
  • Local authorities say crews reduced flames near the road but strong winds overnight pushed the fire onto a nearby hill and left multiple active foci that remain uncontrolled.
  • The Municipalidad de Arequipa dispatched water cisterns, emergency personnel and coordinated about 40 additional brigadistas to support operations and supply logistics for crews on site.
  • The reserve is a protected highland ecosystem with lagoons and native species, and officials warn smoke is reducing visibility on the ArequipaPuno highway and poses health and ecological risks if the fire spreads.