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Fire on Isabela is Not Affecting Endemic Species
26 March 2009
Thus far, the fire in Galapagos has consumed 70 hectares in the highlands of Isabela island, according to Galapagos National Park personnel on site.
After receiving report of a fire during the afternoon hours of last Saturday, personnel from the Galapagos National Park Service, National Police, Puerto Villamil harbor authorities, Provincial Government and Isabela Firemen’s Corp sped to the scene to try to control the conflagration.
The fire is centered in the agricultural zone in the Cerro Verde area of Santo Tomás, in the highlands above Puerto Villamil, in southeastern Isabela.
The contingent deployed to fight the blaze includes eight park rangers, six police, six members of the Navy, two members of Firemen’s Corp, and a member of Civil Defense, in addition to two backhoes and a tanker truck.
Among the team’s first actions was the construction of an eight-meter fire-break to halt the spread of the blaze.
At the moment, the Galapagos National Park Service, in coordination with the Ministries of Government, Environment, and Defense, is bringing in additional heavy machinery to extinguish the fire.
The fire does not represent any danger for Galapagos species. The Cazuela area, some seven kilometers distant, is the nearest site to the conflagration with a population of giant tortoises, but is not currently considered at risk because prevailing winds are blowing in the opposite direction.
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