Wildfire in the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an, Quintana Roo

Government officials keep battling the forest fires registered in the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an , in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto , Quintana Roo , that have affected more than 600 hectares of grassland .

The Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an, that has a surface of 528,148 hectares , was declared in 1987 as World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Carlos Joaquín

, Governor of Quintana Roo , said that his government is working in coordination with municipal and federal authorities to fight the forest fires. Seven brigades from the National Forest Commission (CONAFOR) and the Commission on Natural and Protected Areas (CONANP) .

“Resources were set to suffocate [the fires] and in case of requiring more staff, the Ministry of Defense (SEDENA) and the Navy will come through,” he added.

On its Twitter account, the CONAFOR pointed that one of them, the ground of Sabana Chumpón , was 100% controlled and is 90% extinguished , while the one in the Muyil Core Area “is already being attended in coordination under the Incident Command System .”

They explained that a helicopter from SEDENA is helping with the control of the forest fire in Muyil Core Area , in the reserve of Sian Ka’an, and is conducting the releasing of water and the transportation of combatants. 30% of control and 5% of extinguishing is reported, they added.

For its part, the Sedena informed that it is implementing the Plan DN-II-E in the fight against the incident registered in the mentioned protected reserve in Quintana, Roo.

A total of 100 people from the CONAFOR and the CONANP are working on the suffocation of the incident, said Adrián Martínez Ortega , state coordinator of Civil Protection .

The official said that the fire has affected 600 hectares of grasslands made up of vegetation such as herbaceous plants , in general, the high-stemmed and bushes

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The Secretary of Ecology and Environment (SEMA) , Alfredo Arellano Guillermo , estimated that, if the weather conditions prevail, they hope to have control of 75% this week and the total extinguishing of the incident within two weeks .

According to versions spread in social media, the accident could have been caused by poachers or by some companies that want to expand their buildings.

During the fires, approximately 2,500 hectares from the reserve of Sian Ka’an have been affected.

The Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an has 23 archeological sites , including Muyil, Chenchomac, Chunyaxhen, Vigia del Lago, Oxamach, Tampak, and El Plantal .

The Muyil Archeological Site is located within the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an, and was closed as a precautionary measure due to the fires, as informed the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) .

Muyil is an ancient Mayan city made of pyramidal basements, temples, altars and platforms. The first material evidence corresponds to the late Pre-Classic period (300-500 a.C.), but it was until the late Post-Classic period (1200-1450 d.C.) that most of the known buildings were built.

The INAH informed through their Communication Department that the archeological site did not have serious damage in any of its structures; however, they closed as a precautionary measure and to protect the safety of the visitors. The are contemplating to re-open today since the fire is 15km away from the archeological site and is not moving in its direction.

The two fires that have affected the reserve of Sian Ka’an have also taken their toll on a great variety of animals, like birds, wild mammals, and reptiles , alerted the CONANP.

One of the incidents is located in the core area of the reserve, that is, in the best-conserved area of the polygon and where no activity is allowed, except for scientific research , explained the Regional Commissioner of the CONANP , Christopher González.

“Surely, since the fire took over different ecosystems like grasslands , the savannah, and the middle forest , the diversity of animal species affected is bigger. The savannah is inhabited by lots of birds , and in the jungle , there are more big mammals like raccoons, coatis, ocelots, night monkeys , and of course the endangered tree species.

“We haven’t entered to evaluate the damage to the fauna or vegetation ; we will do so when the fire is more controlled. In general, the most affected species are reptiles , because it is nesting season ,” explained the official in interview with EL UNIVERSAL .

The good news is, he said, that the savannah and the grasslands are highly resilient ecosystems , which means that their degree of recovery is fast.

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