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Fires in Ecuador: Flames still at the gates of the capital
Fires in Ecuador: Flames still at the gates of the capital
(France 2)
In Ecuador, gigantic fires are approaching the capital, Quito, this Wednesday, September 25. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated, and several roads are cut off.
A thick cloud of smoke still rises above Quito (Ecuador) and its skyscrapers. The capital and its three million inhabitants are suffocating. The flames, which have come from the surrounding mountains, are licking at the apartment buildings. The fire is threatening several neighborhoods in the northwest of the city. Five simultaneous fires, which seem out of control for the moment, are being fanned by violent winds.
Residents, armed with simple buckets, are trying to help the 2,000 firefighters and rescue workers. The situation remains critical.We can hardly see the sun through the clouds of smoke any more, (…) and it is particularly unbreathable”says Nathalie Pouchin, a French woman living in Quito. Already a hundred families have been evacuated, and six people have been injured.
Ecuador is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. Pabel Munoz, the mayor of Quito, confirmed that the fires were arson. 37,000 hectares of land have been destroyed.