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Quito fires coming under control after choking capital
Firefighters in Ecuador's capital were battling the remnants of major forest fires on Thursday that had sent massive plumes of smoke above Quito earlier this week, amid a record drought.
Helicopters dumped water to extinguish the flames at two burning sites that remained from about 30 fires, which had devastated 140 hectares of forest on the outskirts of the Andean capital since Tuesday.
"Normality is beginning to be restored in the capital city," Mayor Pabel Munoz told local media, adding that he was confident the remaining fires would be extinguished by Friday morning.
However, he warned there was always the risk of the flames rekindling as hot summer winds in the capital can reach up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.
The blazes injured six people, including a baby and two firefighters. They also destroyed at least seven homes in the humble neighborhood Bolanos, whose residents scrambled to save their pigs, chickens and sheep.
Authorities said they believed the fires were started by arsonists, and on Wednesday a 19-year-old man was arrested for starting one of the fires after being found with a gallon of fuel.
After declaring a state of emergency in Quito, the mayor is seeking to negotiate loans of $500,000 for the reconstruction of affected properties and the recovery of flora.
"We have lost many trees, a lot of vegetation," said Munoz.
From Ecuador to Brazil, many Latin American nations are gripped by their worst drought in decades, fueling a blistering fire season that has set residents and governments on edge.
The Ecuadoran government is considering a nationwide state of emergency due to its worst drought in six decades which has also devastated crop production.
Due to the dry spell, the country, which depends on hydroelectric power, is facing severe energy shortages and has implemented rolling blackouts.
"The phenomena of climate change are more aggressive and this is what we are experiencing at the moment," Environment Minister Inez Manzano told a local broadcaster.
H. Müller--BTZ
