• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 06 / 25 / 2011

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HAVANA , Cuba, Jun 24 (acn) The number of fires occurred in Cuban forests, from January through May, a critical period in the national campaign against forest fires, reached 695, a higher figure in comparison with the previous year.

According to data from the Cuban National Rangers Department, during this same period last year, they registered 322 forest fires, less than half than the present figure.

This source also pointed out that more than 90% of these fires are mainly caused by human negligence, by poachers and fishermen, smokers and passer-bys, and by drivers and operators of machines for agricultural purposes.

An official from that institution, Nurys Corona Rodriguez, mentioned that the first five months of the year are the hardest hit by agricultural draught, high temperatures, relative humidity, which are favorable climate conditions for fire.

Corona explained that last year there were 4,975 hectares affected, whereas this year there has been more than 18,400.

The places more seriously damaged were: Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, the Cienaga de Zapata (Matanzas), and the special municipality of the Isle of Youth.

The direction of the National Rangers Department estimates that economic loses excelled the 10,400,000 Cuban pesos, a higher figure than in 2010 (200,000).

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) affirms that more than 40 million people have been affected by extreme temperatures, fire forests, draughts,storms and floods, in Latin America and the Caribbean, during the last decade.