In less than 12 hours, at least seven fires, some of significant magnitude, occurred in the metropolitan area of Monterrey. These fires were fueled by the winds on Saturday night, which also caused dust storms and the issuance of an environmental contingency. One of the recorded incidents occurred in El Fraile, in Escobedo, on Sunday morning.
Nuevo León Civil Protection reported that control and extinguishing efforts continued for the fire on the hill, where the affected vegetation is submontane shrub. Firefighters from Ramos Arizpe also participated in the efforts. The affected area covered about 30 hectares, with 70% extinguished and 90% controlled by early morning.
In Monterrey, a residence in the San Martín neighborhood caught fire at the intersection of Tucumán and Chacabuco streets. Another forest fire occurred in the CROC neighborhood, at the intersection of Camino Real and Casa del Obrero Mundial. Nuevo León Civil Protection responded to a fire on Cerro del Topo Chico, where aerial combat was carried out with water drops and a task force of 25 firefighters.
On the highway to Saltillo, kilometer 62 in the municipality of García, authorities battled a forest fire for more than seven hours. Municipal, state Civil Protection, and Civil Force coordinated to control the fire. In a fire at a pallet company in Hidalgo, Nuevo León, there were injured people and the fire spread to adjacent homes, also affecting two vehicles.
At kilometer 100 of the Juárez-El Castillo highway, in Cadereyta, a trailer caught fire. So far, there is no further information available. The environmental contingency due to the fires, strong winds, and dust storms continued until Sunday morning, according to the Ministry of Environment.
The agency indicated that the accumulation of dust and smoke in the atmosphere of the metropolitan area of Monterrey generated an increase in PM10 concentrations. Arrests were reported for the intentional generation of fires, prompting citizens to report any act that threatens the interest of the population. At the time of publication, the contingency was still active, but no risks of propagation were present.
