Forest fires burn parts of a cemetery in Nogales, Mexico (Associated Press)

The forest fires reached about 20 states out of 32 in Mexico, causing massive population evacuations, the closure of many roads, and unrest in the affected areas, to the point that some described them as “end of the world fires” given their severity, breadth of area, and geographical extension.

Emergency teams in Mexico are working to contain the multiple fires that have been burning for days in the center and south of the country, and which are likely to increase in the coming days due to continued high temperatures.

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He doesn't log in to other places at the Estado de México. Ahora Valle de Bravo y Avandaro en piligro. The future will be expanded and not used by @delfinagomeza.


This is where the FONDEN goes to other people with friends and family members #NarcoPresidenteAMLO24… pic.twitter.com/lx6FeV8aql

— Perla Soto (@perlasotogarcia) March 25, 2024

The fires broke out due to the hot and dry conditions that Mexico has been experiencing in recent days, and the National Meteorological Service (SMN) expected that high temperatures and lack of precipitation would continue throughout the affected areas until at least March 30.

🔥⛰️🌳 More incendios in México: Here, Domingo, for the tarde se registró un #IncendioForestal among the municipalities of #Nogales and #Orizaba, #Veracruz.

This comes with @PCEstatalVer, at 6:47 pm, hot lights, 45% of control and 35% of liquid… pic.twitter.com/Re9otAvS2a

— SkyAlert Storm (@SkyAlertStorm) March 26, 2024

Temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in parts of southern and western Mexico, while exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in most parts of the country.

As of Tuesday evening, Mexico's National Forestry Commission reported at least 126 fires in about 20 of Mexico's 32 states, causing evacuations, road closures and other disruptions in the affected areas.

Report to #IncendiosForestales 🕚👇

🏞️31 #IncendiosForestales with all liquids


🔥95 active activities


👨‍🚒3,049 people fought in the activities of the Incendios


🚁6 units of work in Nuevo León, Jalisco, Michoacán, Hidalgo, Edomex and Veracruz. pic.twitter.com/KgdajLKNFS

— CONAFOR (@CONAFOR) March 26, 2024

The National Committee said in a post on the “X” platform - previously “Twitter” - “31 forest fires were extinguished and there are still 95 active fires, and forest fires increased by 60% within 24 hours.”

The active fires are affecting a total area of ​​more than 6,000 hectares (14,826 acres), and approximately 5,700 individuals are participating in firefighting activities across the country.

The fire that broke out in the area near Donato Guerra in the state of Mexico claimed the lives of 4 members of the squad that was fighting the fire, while some homes burned in a forest fire in Nogales in the state of Veracruz, and fires broke out in mountain farms, leading to the death of livestock and the charring of homes.

Local newspapers said, "There are 6 air teams cooperating in fighting fires in several states: Nuevo Leon (north), Jalisco (west), and the central states of Michoacán, Hidalgo, the state of Mexico, and Veracruz in the southeast of the country."

Jalisco State Governor Enrique Alfaro confirmed, in a post on the “X” platform, that they had already extinguished the fire that broke out in the Sierra de Quila region.

The day of the day was trabajo for part of 112 bombers and forest bombers and those with the conditions of the viento no facilitaron of the area, the incendio of Los Ciruelos/La Mujer Dormida, among the limits of the ANP Sierra de Quila, in Tecolotlán-Tenamaxtlán , ya se declaró… pic.twitter.com/N43wOSI7Pa

— Enrique Alfaro (@EnriqueAlfaroR) March 27, 2024

Before that, Alvaro announced that the forest fire in the Los Ceruelos area had been brought under control, saying, “The area has become free from danger thanks to the work, courage and tireless dedication of the members of the army, police, civil defense, fire engines and helicopters, who did not stop day or night to take care of our environmental capital.”

The forest area in Los Ciruelos, in the borders of the ANP Sierra de Quila, in Tecolotlán, is controlled and is located in a rural area on the trabajo, and is accessible to more than 100 brigadists, including 14 terrestrial vehicles and one. helicóptero, no… pic.twitter.com/4ip0rEA3mm

— Enrique Alfaro (@EnriqueAlfaroR) March 24, 2024

“Everything was destroyed, work machines, beds, mattresses, everything,” said Catalina Villafuerte, a resident of the Aceradero Maltrata housing complex.

Activists appealed to citizens to help the authorities put out the fires and provide support to the affected residents. Laura Barranco said in a Facebook post, “How do we help fight the fires? Currently, the state of Mexico is one of the most affected entities.”

She added, "The battle is being fought by fighters from the National Guard, as well as municipal civil protection zones and members of the army. There are many people sacrificing their lives for our forests. Please go to the nearest support point and you can bring the following: water, energy drinks, serums, chocolate, dried fruits, bread, and cans of sardines." And tuna, mayonnaise, and hot pepper.”

Forest fires and climate change

According to a study published in the journal Earth's Future, a research team at the Argonne National Laboratory in the United States expects the rates, intensity, and length of forest fires to increase over time.

The researchers used satellite data issued from 1984 to 2019 to study 13,000 previous forest fires in the North American continent, especially the United States of America, to find out the extent to which potential fire risks are related to the final size of forest fires.

The researchers reached the conclusion that when the risk of forest fires was higher, the size of forest fires was larger. The study expects that the risk of severe forest fires will increase by an additional 10 days each year, and in some areas, such as the southern Great Plains in the United States of America, the rate of fires will increase to More than 40 additional days each year, most of which will be in the spring and summer months.

The study went further, as it expects that some forest fires will extend into the winter months, especially with lower rainfall rates than before, which increases the dryness of plants, and consequently facilitates the ignition and spread of fires.

In 2020, an international team of scientists conducted a research review of 57 previous studies, all of which showed links between climate change and increased frequency and intensity of fire weather, which is defined as conditions favorable to wildfires, such as high temperatures, low humidity, low precipitation and high winds.

The study indicated that rising global temperatures, frequent heat waves, and droughts will increase the likelihood of forest fires by enhancing fire weather.

The study data showed that fire weather seasons extended across approximately 25% of the Earth's vegetated surface, resulting in an increase of about 20% in the global average fire weather season length.

2023.. the year of the largest forest fires in the world

Forest fires in the world in 2023 caused the death and injury of hundreds of people, in addition to widespread destruction, loss of vast areas of forests, and intense carbon emissions.

The forest fires in Canada were the largest in its history, and among the largest in the past ten years in all parts of the world, as the area of ​​forests affected in 2023 exceeded approximately 18.5 million hectares, an area larger than the area of ​​South Korea and Cuba.

In early August 2023, fires broke out in the forest area on the island of Maui in the US state of Hawaii, killing 100 people, the largest number of victims recorded as a result of fires in the country in the past 100 years.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said in press statements that about 2,200 buildings were destroyed as a result of the fires, and the financial damage amounted to approximately 6 billion dollars, while US President Joe Biden declared the island of Maui a “disaster area” due to the fires.

A fire also broke out on August 19, 2023 in the “Deda Agag” and “Marij” regions in Greece, killing 21 people. The incident was considered the largest forest fire the country has faced in the last 20 years.

According to a report by the Greek Meteorological Authority, the area of ​​burned forests in the two regions exceeded 720 million square meters.

Forest fires broke out in the central and southern parts of Chile in February 2023, killing 24 people and destroying hundreds of homes and more than a billion square metres, while forest fires also swept Chile in February 2024, resulting in at least 112 deaths.

Four people also died in forest fires that broke out in southern Italy at the end of last July, resulting in the evacuation of thousands of people to safe areas.

In Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands in southwestern Spain, the authorities evacuated 5 villages due to forest fires in August 2023, where about 12 thousand people were evacuated, and more than 80 million square meters were burned.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated from the same island last October, due to a forest fire that spread over an area of ​​150,000 square metres.

Source: Al Jazeera + American press + websites + social networking sites