Massive fire continues to burn in eastern Quito as hundreds of families are evacuated

As of early Wednesday morning, a massive forest fire continued to burn in the historic Guápulo neighborhood of eastern Quito. Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz called it “an attack on Quito,” referring not only to the threat to life and property, but to the suspicion of arson.

According to Quito Fire Department Chief Esteban Cárdenas, the fire began about 3 Tuesday afternoon in a ravine near the intersection of Simón Bolívar and Los Conquistadores avenues. Shortly afterward, he said two other nearby fires were reported, leading authorities to suspect arson. The area is located below the Hotel Quito sector and is the access route to the Quito airport.

Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz reviews a map of the fire zone Tuesday night.

As of midnight, the fire had spread from Guápulo to the Bellavista, González Suárez and Bolaños sectors as well as Parque Metropolitano and Cerro Auqui.

“This is one of the biggest, most dangerous fires in our history and we are devoting every available resource to fighting it,” Muñoz said at a news conference. “We continue to evacuate families from their homes and are warning others that they may need to evacuate depending on conditions.”

The mayor said firefighters from as far away as Ambato and Riobamba are working with Quito crews against the blaze. “We are also using helicopters equipped with water buckets and will add other specially outfitted aircraft Wednesday morning.” In total, 600 firefighters and other personnel are on the scene, including members of the armed forces, Muñoz said.

A Quito transit agent races ahead of flames Tuesday afternoon.

He added that at least seven other unrelated fires are currently burning in the metropolitan Quito area. “The drought conditions have created a disastrous scenario for us, and we feel like we are under siege.”

Government Minister Arturo announced early Tuesday night that scheduled electric blackouts for Quito have been suspended due the fire. “The government is doing everything at its disposal to assist the municipality battle the fire and we do not want interference from power outages,” he said. He added that the Attorney General’s office is conducting an investigation into possible arson.

Muñoz and Félix offered rewards leading to the arrest of arsonists. They asked residents to review footage from private security cameras in the area and to phone the 131 hotline if they have relevant information. Two men were arrested earlier this month for setting fires in the Quito area.

Cárdenas said the terrain in the Guápulo area has made battling the blazes difficult. “The area is very steep and since the main fire began at a lower altitude it burned rapidly uphill,” he said. “Much of the area is heavily forested with large pine and eucalyptus trees, which burn easily.”

Quito residents are being warned of poor air quality due to the fires.

9 a.m. update: The Quito mayor’s office reports that most fires have been brought under control but that hotspots continue to flare up. A number of roads remain closed to allow firefighters access to the fires.