Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) – Forest fires in Jalisco state have surged dramatically this year, causing extensive damage to large swathes of land, with the number of incidents rising from 585 to 707 in just a week, from May 4 to May 11. These fires have devastated over 71,062 hectares of forested area, more than twice the size of the entire Forest of La Primavera.
The severity of the situation was highlighted earlier this month, as one of the most aggressive fires led to an atmospheric alert being issued in the municipalities of Chiquilistlán, Zacoalco de Torres, Acatlán de Juárez, and Atemajac de Brizuela. The firefighting effort involved over 500 personnel from various government agencies, who worked tirelessly for nearly a week to quell the flames.
Presently, firefighting brigades are combating blazes in areas including Los Bailarines, Sierra del Águila, Cerro de García, Cerro Grande, and Cerro El Comal. The blaze in Los Bailarines, which started on Monday and prompted an atmospheric alert in the municipalities of El Arenal, Zapopan, Guadalajara, and Tlaquepaque, was reported as controlled by Tuesday afternoon.
According to data from the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), the total impact of these fires on adult trees is alarmingly high, affecting over 2,328 hectares as of 2023, marking a 176% increase from the previous year.
Omar Castañeda, a forestry engineer from the Forest Fire Division of the Municipal Coordination of Civil Protection and Firefighters of Zapopan, explained that surface fires cause not just damage to vegetation but also release harmful pollutants. More devastating, however, is when these fires harm adult or regrowth trees, as their recovery time is significantly longer and their loss impacts the overall health of the forest ecosystem.
Castañeda also warned that repeated fires in the same region can cause severe soil degradation and impede the forest’s recovery capabilities. While grass, shrubs, and leaf litter can regenerate relatively quickly after a fire, adult trees take much longer, particularly in the absence of immediate reforestation efforts.
Concerns regarding public health have also been raised. The Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development (Semadet) has issued 23 atmospheric alerts this year due to potential health risks from pollution caused by these fires. The longest of these alerts lasted 510 hours, triggered by a landfill fire, while others were due to forest, agricultural, and miscellaneous fires.
In a recent announcement, the Jalisco governor revealed that 11 individuals have been arrested this year on suspicion of causing these forest fires, though only five of them are currently linked to ecocide proceedings. As the state continues to grapple with this environmental crisis, these arrests underscore the need for stronger measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
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