Fire rages through reserve in Mexico’s resort-filled Yucatan
Posted July 15, 2019 3:51 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MEXICO CITY — A fire in the Sian Ka’an nature reserve on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula has spread to more than 6,000 acres (2,500 hectares) and local authorities say it’s 30 per cent under control.
The Quintana Roo Environment Department says the fire’s advance across the brush and grasslands has slowed as of Monday.
Environment Secretary Afredo Arellano told Imagen Radio that drought and intense heat contributed to the fire.
More than 50 firefighters and a water-dropping Air Force helicopter are working to control the blaze.
The Sian Ka’an reserve on Mexico’s Caribbean coast is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an important tourist destination. It includes jungle, wetlands and coral reef, as well as Mayan archaeological sites and pumas, monkeys and crocodiles.
The Associated Press
