Death Toll From Peru’s Forest Fires Rises To 18

The death toll from devastating forest fires in Peru has risen to 18, with 165 individuals reported injured and approximately 2,000 hectares of crops affected this year.

Juan Urcariegui, the institutional head of the National Institute of Civil Defence (Indeci), addressed the situation during a meeting at the National Emergency Operations Center on Friday. He confirmed that 83 percent of the fires in the country have been controlled and extinguished.

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In response to the severe fires, the Peruvian government declared a state of emergency in the Amazonas, San Martin, and Ucayali regions on Wednesday, according to Indeci’s response director, Cesar Sierra.

To enhance coordination in the affected areas, two command posts have been established in the cities of Tarapoto and Pucallpa.

UN data reveals that nearly 60 percent of Peru’s territory is covered by tropical forests. However, these forests have been increasingly threatened by human activities, such as the burning of dry grasslands for agricultural purposes, compounded by the impacts of climate change. The frequency and scale of forest fires in the country have been on the rise, raising urgent concerns about environmental and public safety.