Ecuador declares emergency due to fires and drought

BOGOTA, Colombia

Ecuador declared a national emergency due to water shortage, drought and forest fires, which have consumed more than 10,000 hectares (some 25,000 acres) in the south of the country in November, the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) said on Monday.

In a statement, the SNGR informed that there are currently 17 active fires and 5 controlled fires in the country. The state of emergency will last for 60 days, which will extend until the presidential election campaign, scheduled for February.

The South American country has received air support from Peru and Italy to control the fires. To date, four helicopters are working in the province of Azuay and four in Loja, three of them from the Ecuadorian Air Force, one from the Police, one from the Army, two from Peru and one from a private company managed by the Italian Embassy. Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are working on the ground.

"Starting today, Monday, November 18, the SNGR will hold a daily meeting with the media to provide updates on the fires across the country," the SNGR statement said.

The energy crisis in Ecuador, due to the drought that affected hydroelectric generation, led the government to declare power cuts of up to 14 hours. Low water levels have caused the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants that cover 70 percent of national demand to fall to critical levels.

​​The authorities say that human activity is the primary cause of the wildfires, which have consumed some 40,000 hectares of crops and killed more than 44,000 farm animals, according to the government. The poor air quality caused by smoke has already forced some residents to wear face masks this weekend.

The climate pattern of La Niña has hit Ecuador mercilessly, with more than 5,000 fires and 65,000 hectares (160,000 acres) lost so far this year.