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Rains Calm Forest Fires in Santa Cruz

Posted: Nate on Aug 31 | Environment

After weeks of raging forest fires in many areas of the country, firefighters finally made headway when rainstorms last weekend and yesterday brought much-needed moisture to affected areas.  Satellite images showed a drop from 6,000 hotspots in the country to 2,000 over the four-day period.  In Santa Cruz, where low visibility from smoke has occassionally halted air-traffic in recent weeks, air quality had returned to normal by this morning.  Although the three provinces with the largest fires, Germán Busch, Ángel Sandoval, and Velasco, did not receive rain, satellite images still showed a drop from 600 fires to 58 in those areas.

While the rains provided a welcome respite from the choking smoke, officials warned that the rains carried concentrated contaminants from the smoke.  According to government Director of Natural Resources, Ever Menacho, as those rains wash into already ash-contaminated rivers and lakes, “they could increase mortality in fish populations and cause diarrhea in humans.”  Biologist Lesly López confirmed that the polluted rains will have damaging effects on animal and human populations.

For more in Spanish see:

http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=116967&a=1&EditionId=2270

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