Mexican Fires: United States is Asked for Help
Dateline: 5/26/98
The U.S. Agency for International
Development's (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster
Assistance has approved assistance to Mexico for fires that are continuing to pollute the
air as far north as the plain states in the US. South Mexico is socked in with smoke
haze mixed with fog. The Gulf coast state of Tabasco has major air
pollution because of forest and brush fires.
The National Interagency Fire Center is responding to a Mexican request for help. Items needed at this time are protective equipment, firefighting tools, communications equipment, tankers, and fire fighting specialists. Current Mexican information about the fire situation can be found at www.semarnap.gob.mx (in Spanish).
Foto: M.Calanohina
Wildfire in Mexico
© SEMARNAP
Mexico is suffering the worst dry spell in 70 years. This is setting the stage for fires throughout the southern part of the country. Some consider it to be a major environmental catastrophe. Nearly 50 people have died this year fighting fires. These fires are caused by peasant farmers setting forests and fields ablaze to clear them ahead of the rainy season. These fires are very similar to fires that blanketed wide areas of southeast Asia last year.
Rains finally broke in Honduras this weekend, putting out forest fires and dispersing a thick blanket of smoke that choked the country for weeks. Airports in the small Central American country closed almost weekly over the past month due to poor visibility. A major surge in respiratory complaints have accompanied the smoke but are expected to ease.
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