Fires continue to burn out of control in the Cajas; Mazar hydro plants forced into duty to maintain 8-hour blackouts; Vice President returns to Ecuador

Although wildfires near Cuenca have been extinguished or contained, massive fires continue to burn out of control in Cajas Mountains. Firefighters from Cuenca, Quito and other cities, assisted by more than 200 volunteers are working around the clock, officials say, battling blazes in the Arquillo and Chaucha sectors of Molleturo.

National Risk Management Secretary Jorge Carrillo says the two fires have consumed more than 4,000 hectares in “very difficult terrain” and the Chaucha fire has spread into western portions of Cajas National Park. “The area is marked by deep gorges and vertical cliffs and is inaccessible to firefighters,” he said. “The fires are threatening several isolated communities which have organized to join the work of the fire departments.”

A forest fire in the Chaucha parish has spread into western sections of Cajas National Park.

He added that water drops from helicopters are often the only means of fighting fires.

Carrillo cautioned that improving air quality in Cuenca does not mean the threat has passed. “The skies in Cuenca are clearing because the nearby fires have been controlled, but the fires to the west remain uncontrolled and are causing great environmental damage,” he said.

Mazar hydro plants forced into duty
Despite plans announced by the Energy Ministry to keep the three hydroelectric plants at the Mazar reservoir out of service, two of the plants have been forced into duty to maintain the eight-hour blackout schedule this week. “Despite the power transfers from Colombia and production improvement at Coca Codo Sinclair, the Mazar and Paute plants have been activated to cover demand during peak periods of the day,” electrical engineer Carlos Morales said Wednesday.

Morales acknowledged that the activation is required to maintain the eight-hour blackouts the government announced Sunday. “The original plan was to keep the plants idle to allow the water level at Mazar to recover but this is not possible due to the demand,” he says. “Obviously, water from the reservoir is required when we turn on the generators.”

He speculated that blackouts would need to increase to 12 hours to keep the Mazar plants idle.

Morales, who works at the Paute facility, said that despite the generation activation, the water level at the reservoir has remained steady, but only five meters above the minimum operational level. “The rain we have received this week has replaced the water released for generation, but the level has not increased.”

Vice President Abad back in Ecuador
Vice President Verónica Abad retuned to Ecuador Wednesday, vowing to continue her fight to replace President Daniel Noboa during the upcoming election campaign. Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Labor suspended Abad for 150 days for violating a presidential order. If the suspension stands, Abad would not be able to carry out the constitutional mandate to replace Noboa during the campaign.

In comments after her arrival at the Quito airport, Abad said she is confident that the Constitutional Court will overturn the ministry order. “This was a power grab by the president to keep me silent, but it is a violation of the constitution, and I am confident it will be nullified,” she said, adding that action in the National Assembly to “restore” her vice-presidential rights are also underway.

On November 9, the Labor Ministry suspended Abad for 150 days without pay for “unjustified abandonment of work for three or more working days” based on her late arrival in Turkey, where she had been ordered by Noboa to report.