Havana, Mar 11 (RHC) The situation in areas of the forest fire that has been affecting the territory of Los Palacios, a southern municipality in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Río, is described as complex.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Pereda, head of the Cuban Forest Ranger Corps in this area, said that the fire already covers 230 hectares of forests, and its control is made difficult by the typography of the area with a predominance of high hummocks.

An observation plane flew over the area and confirmed the slow movement of the flames, although they are leaning towards the town of San Diego de los Baños (more than 132 kilometers from Havana), where 6,136 people live, he said.

Our purpose is to prevent the fire from being a threat to the population, but its fight is difficult despite all the strategies adopted, added Pereda.

A hopeful element is rain announced on the occasion of the arrival of a weak cold front to the western region of Cuba.

It could attenuate the intensity of the fire of great proportions, he said.

Since January to date, Pinar del Río has registered more than 70 forest fires with the loss of a significant number of hectares.

The drought, a key element in the dry period that extends until May, has been a determining factor since specialists in Meteorology assure that the current records are only comparable to the months of January and February 1961.

Hence the importance of being rigorous in complying with protection measures when in a forest or close to it, recalls the head of the Cuban Forest Ranger Corps in Pinar del Río (Source: Prensa Latina).