What stage is the fire in the Sierra de Bahoruco at?

SIERRA DEL BAHORUCO, PEDERNALES.– The forest firefighting teams battling the fire in Pelempito-Aceitillar, in the Sierra de Bahoruco, advanced to the mop-up phase this Saturday, after completing the defense lines and backfires planned to contain the spread of the fire during the night of Friday.

The head of the National Fire Management Program, Gerónimo Abreu, explained that overnight weather conditions, including light rain, temporarily altered some planned operations. However, the teams continued working to construct and secure the fire lines, completing the final line in the afternoon and subsequently carrying out the remaining backfires.

The assessment conducted in the early hours of this Saturday indicates that the fire is under control, so operations are focused on the mop-up phase, with attention to remaining hot spots within the affected area and monitoring the control lines.

In the southern sector, teams maintain surveillance and carry out liquidation work within the established perimeter, verifying on the ground the effectiveness of the constructed lines and natural barriers.

This Saturday, personnel will be deployed mainly in the northern and southeastern sectors, where they will continue liquidation work, review control lines, and address any hotspots that could pose a risk of reactivation.

The teams will remain in the area during this phase until the established liquidation and surveillance tasks are completed, to consolidate control of the fire and prevent possible reactivation.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources reiterates its call to the public to avoid burning, campfires, and any irresponsible use of fire in wooded areas, especially during periods of conditions favorable for the spread of fires.

Prevention and responsible citizen action are fundamental to protecting forest ecosystems and reducing the risks to which forest firefighters and other response teams are exposed.