Although largely ‘contained’, fires still rage; police raid mining ministry; water level at Mazar reservoir drops by a meter per day

Although the national Risk Management Office says the wildfires in the provinces of Loja and Azuay are “substantially under control,” large areas continue to burn. The largest fire, near Quilanga in Loja province, has burned more than 7,600 hectares forest and farmland, destroyed at least 25 homes and farm buildings and displaced 80 families. An estimated 20,000 farm and wildlife were killed by the fires.

Risk Management said Tuesday that “perimeters have been set up” to stop the spread, but efforts are still underway to extinguish multiple fires. “We have managed to put up barriers to protect homes and farmland, but the fire is still burning within the perimeters and our personnel are working day and night to extinguish these fires,” the government said in a statement.

The glow of the Quilanga fire fills the sky over the city Tuesday night. Although officials say the fire is under control, it continues to burn in areas that are inaccessible to firefighters.

Quilanga Mayor Juan Carlos Santín believes the government is underestimating the area burned. “I think 10,000 hectares have burned, maybe more, but it’s hard to say until all the fires are out,” he says. “The fires are still burning, many of them are flaring up again after they’ve been out.”

More than 300 firefighters are still on the ground in Quilanga, Risk Management says. At least a dozen helicopters, including several from Peru, continue to drop water on hot spots.

On Tuesday afternoon, the fire near San Fernando, 30 kilometers southwest of Cuenca, flared up again. Governor Santiago Malo of Azuay province said two helicopters were again spraying the fire with water droplets from Bambi buckets.

Police raid Ministry of Mining
National Police raided the offices of the Ministry of Mines in Quito on Tuesday, looking for evidence that mining concessions were granted illegally. A prosecutor accompanying the police said several ministry officials are suspected of having accepted bribes to grant concessions to members of criminal gangs and their relatives.

Mining Minister Antonio Goncalves launched an investigation into mining concessions and land registers in July, and prosecutors say it has “revealed numerous irregularities that indicate a pattern of corruption within the ministry.” In addition, prosecutors say a recent increase in gold processing operations raises suspicions because the records provide no traceability or provenance of the mineral material received.

In addition to the seizure of paper ministries, a large number of digital files were also downloaded during the raid.

Water level in Mazar reservoir drops by one meter every day
The water level in the Mazar reservoir on the Rio Paute is dropping one meter per day, according to the electricity company Celec Sur. The reservoir supplies water to the Paute, Sopladora and Mazar hydroelectric power stations. “The drop in the water level, to 2,137.39 meters above sea level, is the result of the drought and the reduction in the flow of the tributaries that feed the Rio Paute,” a spokeswoman for the utility said Tuesday. “We are now 16 meters below the maximum level. The level is sufficient to maintain production for many weeks, but the drop is worrying.”

Months of below-average rainfall, partly due to El Niño last year, are jeopardizing operations at the Paute-Mazar complex, the spokeswoman said. “The drought in southern Ecuador, particularly in the areas of the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Burgay, San Francisco and Santa Bárbara rivers, is the most severe in recent history,” she said. “We are all praying for rain.”

Based on current demand, the Paute-Mazar complex provides 28% of the country’s electricity, while the Coca Coda Sinclair plant on the Rio Coca provides 24% of demand. Although water flow on the Rio Coca remains stable, Coca Coda Sinclair is plagued by sedimentation and technical problems that threaten its capacity.