GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s president issued a natural disaster declaration Wednesday as 44 forest fires continue to burn across the Central American country.
DESPERATE YOUNG GUATEMALANS TRY TO REACH THE US EVEN AFTER HORRIFIC DEATHS OF MIGRATING RELATIVES
President Bernardo Arévalo said that 80% of the fires were started by people. Farmers often burn stubble and grass in their fields around this time of year in preparation for planting.
“The current situation is not a coincidence, 80% of those fires were set,” Arévalo said.
Authorities canceled classes across three central provinces to protect students from the prevailing smoke. One of the largest fires is near a suburb of Guatemala City, the capital.
The declaration frees up funding for fire fighting efforts.
Guatemala is more accustomed to dealing with its restive volcanoes than forest fires.
