Thousands of friars were incinerated in a fire that consumed more than 65 hectares in the paramo de Boyacá

In recent weeks, Colombians have been much more aware of the importance of caring for friars in the country, in view of the success of the character created by Señal Colombia, Frailejón Ernesto Pérez. However, while the character and his song go viral on social networks, for the last two days several hectares of this plant have been consumed by a forest fire.

The events have been taking place in the municipality of Aquitania, in the department of Boyacá, where green areas and high friars have been severely affected. Environmental authorities have been struggling to stop the flames, especially because they are concerned that they are advancing and are getting closer and closer to Tota Lagoon, where several tourists have seen the fire.

The Aquitaine Fire Department has detailed that the fire is between the lake basin and the Pérez and Daito trails, and that they have managed to prevent it from reaching nearby homes; however, it has consumed more than 65 hectares. Ángela Barinas, the commander of the firefighters explained that the fire began last Monday, March 21 in the afternoon, “we progressed in work until 9 at night preventing the flames from reaching homes that are located in the sector, in the middle of this situation there are already more than 60% of native vegetation”, they also pointed out that they also pointed out that they also caused damage to the water zone of the municipality.

In addition, he noted that firefighters have been working in communication with the Departmental Risk Management Unit and the Tunja Fire Department to continue to alert and give the most recent details about the event. For their part, the inhabitants of Aquitaine are concerned and demand that CorpoBoyacá speak out about it and also take action to help.

Of all the affected territory, the firefighters detailed, according to Noticias Caracol, only three hectares are part of the Tota - Bijagual - Mamapacha paramo complex, while the rest are forest and native vegetation of the area, where the frailejones stand out, an important plant that helps with the care of these ecosystems.

According to El Espectador, the causes of the fire are being investigated by the authorities, but the peasants indicate that it could have been caused by men, in order to expand the agricultural and livestock areas in this area of the country. This suspicion arises because, in less than a month, this is the second fire that occurs, already in February they had reported fire in the Siscunsí Natural Park, in the Octá moor.

The complaints were made by peasants and members of the Cumbres Blancas Colombia collective, who seek to lead projects to promote the care of glaciers and high mountains in the country. As the two fires are very close, the inhabitants of this area of the country believe that they may have been caused by those who intend to occupy the territory with agriculture or livestock.

“They are again our burning paramos. The fire was already controlled with the help of firefighters,” the collective wrote in its public denunciation, insisting that painful images of fire consuming nature became common for the inhabitants of Boyacá. “We asked for an explanation, we asked that real measures be taken, because these images became common in the department of Boyacá... About a month ago we reported another fire in the department, of which there are no concrete results of the investigation,” they claimed.

To the regional newspaper Boyacá Noticias, Mayor Orlando Barrera said that the emergency affected 65 hectares of native vegetation. While the Aquitaine authority reported that the fire was controlled, but that the water zone of the municipality was burned, specifically in the La Cumbre sector.

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