Wildfires Ravage Santa Cruz, Bolivia

By Santiago Limachi and Daniel Ramos

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia/LA PAZ, (Reuters) – In the lowland Bolivian region of Santa Cruz, currently facing some of its worst wildfires on record, nurse Raúl Gutiérrez noted that the acrid sting of smoke seems ever-present, turning day into a near-night experience.

The South American country is on track for a potentially record-breaking year of fires, fueled by drought and land clearances due to booming cattle and grain production, particularly around the affluent farming city of Santa Cruz.

Despite the fires raging for weeks, the smoke over cities like Santa Cruz and Cochabamba intensified recently, with images capturing city monuments engulfed in smog. Air pollution levels on Wednesday were among the worst globally.

“The smoke is persistent, it is strong. We hope it dissipates but there are no signs or chances of rain,” Gutiérrez remarked, noting the conditions are particularly severe at dusk, dawn, and midnight.

As a result, an increasing number of people are experiencing breathing issues, eye problems, and headaches due to the smoke, leading to the suspension of school classes.

“The sun practically has an orange hue, it looks just like the moon at night,” he added.

Inhaling pollution from wildfire smoke can be lethal or result in long-term respiratory issues. A June study in the journal Science Advances revealed that this pollution led to at least 52,000 premature deaths in California over a decade.

Satellite imagery indicates troubling levels of particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Furthermore, data from Brazil’s INPE indicates Bolivia may face its worst record of active fires for September.

‘THE AMAZON IS BURNING’

Diego Rojas, head of the Department of Water and Atmospheric Pollution in Santa Cruz City Hall, urged people to avoid outdoor activities and to use face masks to combat the smog.

“We’ve had five straight days with dangerous levels for the population,” he stated.

The fires have resulted in school closures and the suspension of some commercial flights. President Luis Arce has called for international aid, asserting that the government will not relent until the fires are extinguished.

Wilber Melgar, from an Indigenous community in the Beni region north of Santa Cruz, which has also been severely impacted by the fires, condemned ranchers for clearing extensive land for grazing, sometimes through slash-and-burn methods.

“Right now the Amazon is burning,” he expressed.

Brazil is also facing a challenging start to the fire season, with major cities shrouded in smoke and vast areas of the Amazon rainforest ablaze. This wider region is experiencing the worst fires since 2010.

In Bolivia, Santa Cruz has witnessed deforestation of approximately 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) over the last two decades, according to Alcides Vadillo, a researcher at the Tierra Foundation, contributing to the increase in fire incidents.

“(Last year) Santa Cruz was the most polluted city on the planet for a week. This year it will happen again and that means direct damage to human health,” Vadillo stated.