Wildfires Continue to Destroy the Ecosystem of el Oro Province Located in the Southern Coast of Ecuador

Nearly 250 men, including elements of the Fire Department from five provinces, and also Armed Forces personnel, would have extinguished the Chilla fire yesterday.

The ten straight days of wildfires in Ecuador have caused serious damage to the ecosystem of el Oro province. More than a thousand hectares of forests and hundreds of animals have been destroyed by the nearly 2,000 fires.

In the mountains of the Chilla canton in el Oro province, the wildfires have destroyed peccaries, rabbits, deers, insects and birds.

The governor of el Oro, Edgar Cordova, announced yesterday in the afternoon, that the fire was already controlled in the area, but says that the devastation of the habitat of these animals is irreparable.

There are five hills affected by the flames: the Rusiococha, the Portete, the Chillacocha, the Mezaloma and the Chilola. (MZ)