Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Chimo wildfire response intensifies as Conafor deploys brigades to contain a three-day illegal burn in Cabo Corrientes under strict NOM-015 regulations.
Chimo, Cabo Corrientes — The fight against the flames continues in the town of Chimo, where two brigades from the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) have battled an out-of-control fire for the past three days. Fifteen firefighters and two specialized vehicles remain on site, working around the clock to contain a blaze that authorities trace back to an illegal burn that spread beyond its intended perimeter.
Conafor crews first arrived in Chimo 72 hours ago after local reports signaled an escalation in smoke and heat along a stretch of mixed forest and scrubland. The two vehicles—a water tanker and a brush truck—have shuttled crew members across steep terrain, while firefighters cut firebreaks to prevent further spread. Despite gusty winds and dry undergrowth, officials say containment lines now surround roughly half of the affected zone.
Investigators determined that the fire originated from an unauthorized agricultural burn. In Mexico, Norm 015 of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) sets technical specifications for using fire in forest and farmland, aiming to prevent precisely this sort of catastrophe. The regulation requires burners to notify Conafor in advance, establish control lines and have sufficient personnel and equipment on hand before igniting any flame.
Under NOM-015, property owners act as first responders to any on-site burn that veers off course. They must extinguish the fire immediately and alert authorities if it threatens to escape control. This season, however, local residents in Chimo have largely abdicated that responsibility. Conafor spokespeople say they’ve received fewer reports from landowners preparing legal burns, forcing federal crews to shoulder the entire firefighting burden.
“This fire might have been stopped in its earliest phase if NOM-015 protocols were followed,” said a Conafor official. “Instead, our teams confronted a blaze that had already grown too large for manual suppression alone.” Officials warn that noncompliance not only jeopardizes woodland and wildlife, but also exposes property owners to fines and legal action under the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection.
Terrain and weather have compounded the challenge. The slopes around Chimo are steep and covered in dry pine and oak litter, allowing flames to advance rapidly uphill. Daytime temperatures soaring above 30 °C have dried out vegetation, while afternoon winds of 15–20 km/h push embers into unburned areas. By nightfall, crews rely on cooler, calmer conditions to reinforce firelines and mop up hotspots.
As Conafor firefighters battle flames on the front lines, municipal authorities coordinate road closures and evacuation alerts for nearby communities. To date, no homes or businesses have suffered significant damage, and no injuries to civilians or crew members have been reported. Still, local officials maintain a high alert, warning residents downwind of potential smoke hazards and urging at-risk individuals to stay indoors.
Conafor is also lawfully empowered to impose fines on any landowner who fails to comply with NOM-015 requirements or who allows an illegal fire to escape. The commission can levy penalties ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of pesos, depending on the environmental damage and size of the affected area. So far, at least two investigations have been opened to identify and sanction responsible parties.
Looking ahead, Conafor calls on landowners and community members to plan any controlled burns well in advance. That includes filing a burn plan, securing trained personnel, clearing combustible material around the burn site and maintaining firefighting tools on hand. “Responsible fire use can sustain traditional agricultural practices,” the commission noted, “but only when carried out under strict safety guidelines.”
Meanwhile, crews in Chimo press on, rotating shifts every eight hours and employing thermal imaging to detect lingering heat. By midday, firefighters aim to draw a continuous containment perimeter around the blaze and then begin assessing damage and rehabilitating scorched land. Officials expect to declare full suppression within the next two days—weather and terrain permitting.
Until then, the Chimo wildfire response remains a vivid reminder of the stakes involved when regulations clash with risky field practices. For residents of Cabo Corrientes and beyond, the message is clear: follow NOM-015, report planned burns, and be ready to fight any flame before it becomes a wildfire.
