by Kristen Ku
MACHACA, Toledo District, Mon. May 27, 2024
Over the last three weeks, wildfires have ravaged thousands of acres of farmland and rainforests, and have killed many cattle across areas from Toledo to Cayo District. These relentless fires have prompted a massive response from various government bodies to launch emergency operations to combat the disaster.
Teams from the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Belize Defence Force have been tirelessly fighting these fires around the clock.
Following an active State of Emergency for the Toledo District announced over the weekend, on Thursday, May 23, a press conference was held in Machaca, Toledo, where Hon. Oscar Requena, the Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Local Government and Labour, and Area Representative of Toledo West; the National Emergency Coordinator for NEMO, Captain Daniel Mendez; and NEMO’s District Coordinator, Kenton Parham addressed the media on the latest developments.
“Right now, it is really to get on the ground to see first-hand what is happening to get a thorough assessment and evaluation, and really to quantify the damage, to be able to put together in place a plan to address the needs, both short term and long term,” Minister Requena said.
Hon. Requena revealed that this year’s wildfires are the worst in the country’s history, affecting 19 communities and causing over 200 farmers to lose most or all of their crops, which for many is their sole income.
Villagers, mostly men, have been vigilantly fighting the fires with buckets of water, some losing sleep to protect their homes and farms. NEMO’s preliminary estimates put the crop losses at around $3.1 million.
Although some fires were started accidentally by people, the current focus is solely on controlling the fires and not on assigning blame.
“At this stage, our priority is trying to contain and suppress the fire, and look at the impact to farmers. If an agency wants to pick that up later on, they might. I don’t know if that is something that might be very difficult to pinpoint on who, but our focus is on suppressing the fires and getting aid to the affected population as quickly as possible after the assessments are done,” Parham explained.
Thankfully, according to the conference’s presentation, no lives have been lost, though there was a scare, a rescue mission for a woman and two children in the jungle. Some schools in smoke-affected areas were closed for safety, and the Red Cross is helping by providing meals and water to displaced families.
Given the disasters, Minister Requena, a farmer himself who says he has refrained from burning his milpa for years, also mentioned reconsidering the practice of farmers burning their fields.
“There are clear regulations in terms of what farmers must do when they go and light a fire. They have to create a fire pass. They have to ensure they inform the Ministry of Agriculture. They have to pick certain time to light the fire. They have to make sure they have enough help in order to contain the fire in the event it escapes. But, really, what has happened, to be honest, we have not seen enforcement of the regulations,” he said.
Last week, the Minister of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management, Hon. Andre Perez; Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Hon. Orlando Habet; Minister of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise, Hon. Jose Mai; Captain Mendez, Minister Requena, and the Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceno flew over the affected areas in both Toledo and Pine Ridge Reserve in the Cayo District, to get a first-hand view of the situation.
Following the inspection, the government said it would be creating a community-based plan to try and prevent future reoccurrences.
Notably, as the region faces a wildfire crisis, it has drastically affected the air quality. In response to the life-threatening effects, today the Ministry of Health and Wellness issued a release that strongly advises residents, especially vulnerable groups in the affected communities, to take precautionary measures.
These measures include:
- Stay Indoors: Residents are advised to remain indoors as much as possible, especially during periods of heavy smoke.
- Keep Windows and Doors Closed: Ensure that your living spaces are sealed to prevent smoke from entering.
- Use Air Purifiers: If available, use air purifiers to reduce indoor air pollution.
- Limit Outdoor Activities: Minimize outdoor physical activities to reduce exposure to polluted air.
- Seek Medical Attention: Individuals experiencing respiratory issues should seek immediate medical attention.
- Wear Masks: Wear masks when outdoors in affected areas to filter out fine particles.