Bolivia: Government declares state of emergency due to wildfires September 16 /update 1

Event

President Jeanine Áñez declared a national state of emergency due to wildfires on Wednesday, September 16. The president stated that the national emergency decree will allow the government to act without bureaucratic obstacles to control the fires. The forest fires are threatening the Chiquitanía area and the Noel Kempff Mercado Park, which is a World Heritage Site. On September 9, the Forest and Land Authority (ABT) reported that, by the first week of September, the areas affected by forest fires in Bolivia reached 598,716 hectares (1,479,461 acres).

Further spread of the fires is possible in the near term. An emergency response presence and localized transportation disruptions, namely road closures, should be anticipated in the affected areas.

Advice

Those in the vicinity of the fires are advised to monitor the situation, avoid the area, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.