LIMA, Peru — Wildfires in Peru have left at least 15 dead since July and more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of cultivated land and natural areas scorched, authorities said Monday.
Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén told reporters that the fires were started by human activity and that 22 of the 24 regions that make up the country have active outbreaks. He added that clouds, smoke and winds were hampering the operations of the aircraft available to fight the fires.
A Civil Defense report seen by The Associated Press indicates that since July at least 15 people have died and another 98 have been injured due to the fires. Of the fatalities, 10 died in the last two weeks and more than 1,800 people have been affected. The livestock sector was reported to have lost 334 animals.
Peru’s National Forest and Wildlife Service, SERFOR, indicated that the effects of climate change intensify the conditions that facilitate the spread of fire.
