Andina

Peru: Forest fire under control in Manu buffer zone

17:24 | Acjanaco (Cusco region), Aug. 6.

The forest fire registered near the Acjanaco sector (Cusco region) —in the buffer zone of Manu National Park — is now under control due to the timely and rapid joint response of forest fire rangers, who belong to the State-run National Service for Protected Natural Areas (Sernanp), and local brigades.

In order to respond to the emergency, efforts were joined by Paucartambo Fire Company, Challabamba District Municipal Police, and Itawen Corporacion staff.

The incident may have affected approximately 15 to 20 hectares of the grassland ecosystem in the area adjacent to the Acjanaco checkpoint, which represents the entry to the high Andean zone of Manu National Park. The causes that may have generated this emergency are currently under investigation.

The actions remained in place with the monitoring of the affected area by the team of forest firefighters, with the aim of verifying the end of the incident and avoiding the presence of heat sources that could revive it.

Sernanp —an agency attached to the Ministry of Environment (Minam)— called on the population residing in farming areas to avoid burning grasslands, which can cause forest fires of great magnitude, and even more so taking into account the current climate conditions.

Faced with this situation, specialized personnel are on full alert to prevent similar cases from occurring in the area. 

Manu National Park

This huge 1.5 million-ha park has successive tiers of vegetation rising from 150 to 4,200 m above sea-level. 

The tropical forest in the lower tiers is home to an unrivalled variety of animal and plant species. 

Some 850 species of birds have been identified and rare species such as the giant otter and the giant armadillo also find refuge there. Jaguars are often sighted at Manu National Park.

(END) NDP/JOT/MVB

Published: 8/6/2020