Bogotá, (EFE).- Colombian authorities warned on Monday that some of the wildfires currently affecting the country, which have already consumed over 20,000 hectares, were deliberately set, amid a drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon that increases the risk of spreading.
According to the latest report from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, the departments of Tolima, Huila, and Caldas, in the center of the country, currently have 12 active wildfires and three under control, while authorities have extinguished another 84.
«A moment of carelessness can start a fire, and a criminal organization can deliberately set one. These are different phenomena, and we must address them all,» stated Environment Minister Fabio Arjona on social media.
The minister noted that intentionally setting a forest fire or using fire to cause chaos can result in criminal charges under Colombian environmental law.
In Tolima, one of the hardest-hit departments, Coello Mayor Santiago Herrera described the situation as «critical» due to the emergence of new hotspots while emergency agencies attempt to control existing ones.
