The University Center for Biological and Agricultural Sciences (CUCBA) of the University of Guadalajara (UDG) has shared important measures that will be implemented in the state of Jalisco during the dry season and forest fire period of 2025. Among these measures, the controlled use of fire stands out, especially in agricultural burns, which it is suggested should no longer be carried out at this time of year.
Professor and researcher Gerardo González Cuevas, from the Forest Protection Department of the institution, has highlighted that Jalisco ranks fifth nationally in terms of the area affected by fires as of March 6, 2025, with 2,376.42 hectares. So far, Jalisco has reported a total of 149 fires this year, placing it second after Michoacán and Chihuahua.
The main objective of the presented strategies is to reduce the number of forest fires compared to 2024, when there were 950 fires and 112,487 hectares affected in Jalisco.
The researcher emphasized that although climate change is not the direct cause of forest fires, it has been observed to contribute to making them more aggressive and difficult to control due to atmospheric conditions. According to data from the National Forest Monitoring System (SNMF) of the Government of Mexico, Jalisco has experienced consecutive dry years, which has influenced the spread of forest fires.
The year 2023 was categorized as the driest in Jalisco's history, surpassing 1945 with 1,483 fires and 194,124 hectares affected, which has been attributed to climate change, according to González Cuevas.
In this context, it is essential to implement preventive measures and awareness campaigns to reduce the impact of forest fires, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Jalisco.
