Bolivia Faces Critical Fire Situation With Over 4,000 Hotspots
Bolivian firefighters, July 30, 2025. X/ @noticiasfides
July 30, 2025 Hour: 12:45 pm
Most of them are in Santa Cruz, a department that houses many of the country’s main economic activities.
On Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Civil Defense Juan Calvimontes confirmed that Bolivian authorities have recorded 4,160 wildfire hotspots so far, which places this Andena country in a “critical moment.”.
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At least 4,095 of those hotspots are in the eastern department of Santa Cruz, a region that houses many of the country’s main economic activities.
Several of the fires have emerged during the “chaqueo” season, which refers to permitted burnings conducted to clear land for agriculture or livestock grazing. These activities typically occur during the dry season, from June to September each year.
In recent days, two major wildfires were reported — one in Carrasco National Park, located in Cochabamba, and another along the bioceanic highway near the town of Robore, in Santa Cruz.
To combat the blazes, Bolivian authorities have deployed five military units and 154 forest firefighters. These personnel have supported relief operations in the municipalities of Robore, Carmen Rivero Torrez, San Jose de Chiquitos, San Matias, San Ignacio, San Miguel and San Rafael.
Several aerial patrols have been carried out to locate active fires, which have been identified on business, communal and Indigenous properties. “We do not rule out the presence of individuals starting fires for other interests,” the official said, referring to the blaze along the bioceanic highway that spread into a forested area.
In 2024, wildfires affected 12.6 million hectares across Bolivia, with the largest impacts seen in the eastern department of Santa Cruz (8.5 million hectares) and the Amazonian region of Beni (3.4 million hectares). President Luis Arce acknowledged that last year’s wildfires were the worst environmental disaster in the country’s history, prompting the declaration of a national emergency in 2024.
A report published in May by the private Tierra Foundation found that 66% of the 12.6 million hectares of forests and grasslands devastated by wildfires in Bolivia in 2024 were due to “intentional burning.” The fires affected 7.6 million hectares (60%) of forested areas, while the remaining 5 million hectares (40%) were grasslands, savannas, or areas without tall vegetation.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
