According to Magaly Tipuni, Vice President of Tsimán Mosetén y Tacana Regional Council (CRTSM), the forest fire that has been burning for more than a week in the Pilón Lajas Community Land and Biosphere Reserve cannot be controlled with local resources and the government has not provided an effective response to date. Despite some rain on Sunday, wind has caused the fire to spread.
“We are in danger and we have no answer; only the Municipal Government has tried to put out the fire that is between ravines and there is no response from the central Government. We are losing forest, an infinity of timber and medicinal trees. Our animals are dying ”, he exclaimed.
According to estimates, at least 150 hectares of forest have already been lost due to the forest fire. "There is a lot of biodiversity, which we are losing and as a population we are running out of the water that is at the top of the hill," he said. Tipuni also said ‘‘The fire has not been caused by our people, but by those who are in the reserve, the intercultural brothers are the ones who have caused this disaster.”