An inter-institutional alliance successfully extinguished the fire in La Yeguada Forest Reserve. For the first time, aerial drops with helicopters and encapsulating agents were used to put out the forest fire detected on March 13. Climatic factors such as strong winds, low humidity, and high temperatures facilitated the rapid spread of the flames, forcing the Ministry of the Environment (MiAMBIENTE) to activate immediate response protocols with specialized brigades and volunteers.
Technology and Operational Deployment The firefighting operation in La Yeguada Forest Reserve stood out for the first-time use of two helicopters from the National Aeronaval Service, equipped with "bambi bucket" devices to perform water drops in hard-to-reach areas. In total, 86 aerial drops were made, and over 40 gallons of the F-500 fire encapsulating agent were applied to mitigate the advance of the disaster and protect nearby communities. The operation involved approximately 130 people per day, including park rangers, forest firefighters, environmental police, and technical staff.
Environmental Impact and Prevention Initial technical assessments indicate that the fire affected 346 hectares in the buffer zone and approximately 4.1 hectares within the reserve's boundaries. The Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro, thanked the inter-institutional collaboration in the third person that allowed the fire to be extinguished and emphasized the urgent need to prevent burns to safeguard human lives, infrastructure, and equipment. MiAMBIENTE announced that following the liquidation of the event, an environmental recovery plan will be launched for the degraded areas. Likewise, the institution reiterated its call to the public to avoid any type of burning and to report acts that attack natural resources through the 311 line or the entity's official digital platforms.
