Fires in Santa Cruz: environmental and health crisis that demands immediate action.

Wildfires continue to wreak havoc in the department of Santa Cruz, one of the most affected regions in Bolivia. According to the latest report from the Forest Fire Early Warning System (Satif), the situation has reached alarming levels with 50 active fires spread across 12 municipalities, accumulating a total of 25,207 hot spots. This situation has led to a significant decrease in aerial operations at the region's airfields, which have reduced their activity by 50% due to the dense smoke. Municipalities such as Concepción, Ascensión de Guarayos, and Urubichá are among the hardest hit by these fires, which have devastated vast areas of forest and contributed to poor air quality in the area. According to the report, Concepción leads the list with 13 active fires, followed by Ascensión de Guarayos and Urubichá, both with 8 fires each. San Ignacio and San José are also facing critical situations, while other municipalities like Puerto Quijarro and Roboré report one fire each. Visibility at the airfields in Chiquitania has been severely affected, with levels dropping below 5,000 meters in several of them. This has led Jean Andre Touchard, the regional head of Air Navigation at Naabol, to report that operations have been suspended at various facilities. Only general and air taxi flights are permitted at Santa Cruz's El Trompillo airport, but visibility remains limited, with only 4,000 meters available. Touchard also emphasized that the months of July and August have been particularly detrimental, with a drastic decrease in operations falling to less than 50% compared to previous months. In total, around 1,000 air operations are recorded monthly at the region’s airfields, but the current situation has forced a significant reduction. At El Trompillo, where between 300 and 400 operations are normally conducted daily, the number of flights has had to be adjusted due to adverse conditions. The situation not only affects aviation but has also impacted public health. The Air Quality Index in Santa Cruz has reached a level of 120, considered 'unhealthy', prompting the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment to issue health recommendations. Vulnerable groups, including children under five, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with respiratory illnesses, are advised to avoid prolonged outdoor activities to protect their health. Meanwhile, the Forestry and Land Authority (ABT) has intensified its efforts to control this crisis, initiating a total of 253 administrative processes for illegal burning and 60 criminal processes for fires. These actions aim to halt the devastation of the environment and bring to justice those responsible for igniting these fires, which not only affect the ecosystem but also endanger the lives and health of people. The impact of the fires is twofold: on one hand, large expanses of forest are lost, and on the other, the air quality that the inhabitants of the region breathe deteriorates. The community in Santa Cruz faces a dilemma that borders on urgency, as each passing day without an effective solution increases the risks associated with public health and the environment. In this context, solidarity and collective action are more necessary than ever. Citizens, authorities, and organizations must unite in a coordinated effort to combat these fires and seek sustainable alternatives to prevent similar situations in the future. The task is not easy, but the preservation of the environment and the health of the population depend on it. The situation in Santa Cruz is a call to action. The international and local community must take seriously the devastating effects of wildfires and poor air quality. Only then can a future be built in which both nature and human health are protected and valued.