Tuxtla Gutiérrez – The State Civil Protection System activated the Proceda-In, a map of alerts for areas that are vulnerable to fires, and a mechanism of prevention, mitigation and firefighting, with which they have been able to achieve a reduction in wildfires in high risk areas.
According to specialists and researchers on the topic, information sharing between the state government and the Automated Meteorological Stations (Emas) has showed that fires can be fed and promoted by the combination of three important elements: wind, temperature and humidity.
With data from the National Water Commission, the State Civil Protection System indicated in a press release that it has developed a model for predicting fires during the baseflow season, that can be found at http://www.proteccioncivil.chiapas.gob.mx.
There is a red alert for fires in the following regions: Mezcalapa, Valles Zoque, Metropolitana, De Los Llanos, Frailesca, Istmo-Costa y Soconusco; an orange alert in Norte, Maya, Tulijá, De Los Bosques, Selva Lacandona, Meseta Comiteca y Sierra Mariscal, and a yellow alert in Altos Tsotsil Tseltal.
The alert system has been successful; Chiapas is not one of the 10 states with the highest incidence of forest fires or of hectares damaged by fire.