Nuevo León: emergency declaration was issued due to fires during the month of March

The government of Nuevo León issued a declaration of emergency due to the two fires that occurred during the month of March in the entity, which came into force last Monday, April 4. The first was reported on March 14 and the second on March 25.

According to the Official State Newspaper, the Secretary of Finance and General Treasury of the State will be responsible for reallocating resources to address and monitor the effects arising from accidents, through programs and projects that meet the needs of the affected groups.

Although the amount allocated for the rehabilitation of the area consumed by fire in the Sierra de Santiago or Las Adjuntas was not specified, it was recalled that since February 9, areas covering vegetation, trees, grasslands, weeds and scrublands in general have been declared as closed areas for the use of fire, so that campfires were prohibited in these areas.

On Monday, March 14, a fire broke out in the area known as Las Adjuntas, which consumed about 215 hectares. After five days of mitigation efforts involving the three government orders and the municipalities of Santiago, Santa Catarina, Hidalgo, Allende and Montemorelos, the fire was fully controlled.

According to the governor of the state, Samuel García, this fire was caused by the burning of garbage that was not extinguished at the time, so it spread throughout the area until it reached the area of adult pines.

Subsequently, on March 25, the second ecological fire of the month was reported, this time in the Sierra de Santiago, which has consumed 2,200 hectares as of Monday, April 4. According to Civil Protection of Nuevo León, after 11 days of work this fire has been controlled 95%, and it is expected that by Tuesday, April 5, it will be mitigated in its entirety.

The director of Civil Protection of Nuevo León, Erick Cavazos, commented that the affected areas were mostly areas of scrub and litter. He also recalled the ban on bonfires and roasted meats in the demarcation, as Governor Samuel García had pointed out.

On the other hand, according to the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), only 1% of the total affected areas (about 25) were reported as severe damage. “The rest is environmentally friendly. It has many benefits for the forest,” Cavazos said.

It should be noted that according to article 420 Bis paragraph 4 of the Federal Penal Code, it is stipulated that persons who cause fires in a forest, forest or natural vegetation, penalties are 2 to 10 years imprisonment, as well as 300 to 3,000 days fine.

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