5 dead, 73 injured in Ecuador wildfires

[Mark]

September 24, 2012 – ECUADOR - Forest fires devastating Ecuador have left five people dead and 73 injured, consuming more than 17,600 hectares of woodland and crops. The five deaths, including one of the firefighters, occurred in the provinces of Azuay, Bolivar, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and Tungurahua, while most of the 73 injured were in Chimborazo and Pichincha. In all there have been 3069 forest fires since June 1, when a period of drought set in. The fires have wiped out 17,484ha of woods and scrubland high in the Andes as well as 142ha of crops, while another 31ha of crops were affected but not completely destroyed. A Hercules C-130 aircraft of the Brazilian air force with a team of 29 soldiers and capable of carrying 12,000 litres of water has arrived in Quito to help extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, the Ecuadorian armed forces have deployed 21 aircraft, both helicopters and planes, as well as 5693 soldiers, trucks and other equipment. The province with the most blazes is Pichincha in the Andes region. -BPN

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