A new wildfire has been reported as active in the 'El Centinela' Forest by the Forest Division of Civil Protection and Firefighters of Zapopan, who are already attending to it with the support of the helicopter Tláloc. The first reports of the fire began to come in to emergency units around noon, and the causes that originated it are still unknown.
Forest brigades from PC Jalisco are already working in coordination with UMP CyBZ to combat the wildfire inside El Centinela Forest.
The Secretariat of Environment and Territorial Development (Semadet) activated an Atmospheric Alert in the municipality of Zapopan today at 1:30 PM due to a fire reported in El Centinela Forest. The smoke primarily affects the neighborhoods of Bosques del Centinela, El Vergel, Tabachines, Las Cañadas, and Lomas de Zapopan. The alert was activated due to atmospheric conditions, detection of smoke in nearby areas, and the potential health risk to the population close to the point.
In light of this situation, Semadet shared various recommendations to the population to avoid health issues, such as avoiding outdoor activities, keeping doors and windows closed, wearing masks, drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding smoking, staying informed through official sources, and following the authorities' guidelines.
The authorities confirmed that this alert will remain active until the fire is completely extinguished.
Professor and researcher Gerardo González Cuevas from the Forest Protection Department of the University of Guadalajara (UDG) emphasized that Jalisco ranks fifth in surface area affected by fires at the national level from January 1 to March 6, 2025, with 2,376.42 hectares. So far, it reports a total of 149 fires this year, leaving Michoacán in second place with 76 and Chihuahua with 69, figures that concern authorities considering that the most critical period of the dry season is still to come.
