About 2,000 firefighters, rescue workers and military personnel are fighting fires across Quito.
Firefighters in Ecuador are working to contain a number of forest fires outside the country’s capital, as many South American countries struggle with the effects of widespread drought and record fires.
Smoke and ash blanketed Quito on Wednesday as some 2,000 firefighters, rescue workers and military personnel worked to evacuate residents and put out the flames. At least six injuries have been reported so far.
“The fire will not end in the next few hours. It will certainly continue until the night,” Mayor Pabel Munoz told reporters, adding that cooler temperatures at night could help firefighters in their efforts.
Munoz described the situation as “critical” and said two firefighters were injured while trying to put out the flames.
“Quito is under attack,” city security chief Carolina Andrade said, adding that two adults and two children were also among the injured.
Unprecedented fires have broken out in countries across South America, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru, as the region grapples with severe drought.
“I wanted to save something, but we got nothing,” Alexis Condolo, a 23-year-old mechanic whose house burned down, told AFP.
In a post on social media, the Quito fire department said it was dropping water on the fires to try to help firefighters working to contain the blazes.
The department also urged residents to avoid flying drones, burning trash, and taking any other actions that could start fires or complicate firefighting efforts.
Ecuador is facing its worst drought in more than 60 years, and forest fires have highlighted the increasing vulnerability of many countries to extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.
Earlier this month, Brazil’s space research agency said it had recorded 346,112 fires across South America so far this year ā the highest number since the data series began in 1998.
In Peru, the government last week declared a state of emergency in several provinces affected by forest fires.
Brazilian energy authorities have announced that they will support the re-imposition of daylight saving time, given the threat posed by drought to the country’s hydroelectric generation.
Ecuador has also experienced power outages due to drought, which is negatively impacting the country’s ability to produce energy.
Meanwhile, grain shipments in Argentina and Brazil have slowed due to low river levels.
āMore than ever, South American leaders must take urgent action to prevent a climate catastrophe that could have irreversible consequences for humanity and the planet,ā Amnesty International said on Monday.
