Rain douses Cajas fires as Cuenca’s rivers run full for the first time in months; Airport to close for nine weekends; City bus owners ask for 45-cent fare

A band of rain showers stretching from south of Cuenca to Quito moved through the intermountain valley late Tuesday, providing some areas of the Cajas mountains with the first measurable rainfall since September. Firefighters and volunteers battling forest fires near the Cajas communities of Chaucha and Quitahuayco were pictured dancing in the rain on social media sites.

A photo of the Rio Tomebamba posted at 7:30 ETAPA Tuesday night. An hour later, the river rose another foot and a half.

Earlier Tuesday, the National Risk Management Secretariate and the Cuenca’s mayor’s office announced that the fires in the Cajas were finally under control. As the rain fell, Mayor Cristian Zamora said the showers were helping to extinguish remaining hot spots.

Joel Martinez of the National Institute of Meteorology said some areas of the Cajas and central valley received as much as 21 millimeters of rain, while Cuenca officially recorded 14 millimeters by 8 p.m. with light rain still falling.

“This is the kind of widespread rainfall we need to end the drought but we need 15 more like it,” Martinez said. “People should understand that we need much more than a single rainstorm to overcome a two-year rainfall deficit.”

He said the showers are especially good news for Cuenca’s municipal water system and should add one to two meters to the Mazar hydroelectric reservoir, northeast of the city.

Cuenca’s public utility company ETAPA posted social media photos of the Rios Tomebamba and Yanunacy flowing at full capacity. ETAPA said the levels were the highest in almost two months.

The weather service predicts a 30% to 50% chance of light rain from Wednesday through Sunday.

Cuenca airport to close for 9 weekends
Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport will close for nine consecutive weekends beginning Friday night, November 29, and ending Sunday, January 26. The closures will allow runway resurfacing and terminal renovations in preparation for international flights

Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport plans weekend closures in December and January for terminal and runway improvements.

The closures begin on Fridays at 11 p.m., after the last commercial flights arrive and depart and end Sundays at 6 p.m., and apply to both commercial and private flights.

The airport management said commercial airlines serving Cuenca have been notified of the closures and have adjusted their schedules accordingly.

45-cent bus fare is proposed
The union representing Cuenca municipal bus companies is proposing a fare increase from 35 to 45 cents. The Cuenca Chamber of Transportation says the increase is necessary to recover increased operating costs due to inflation and higher diesel prices.

Currently, passengers pay 30 cents per ride with the municipal government providing an additional 5-cent subsidy.

A University of Cuenca study commissioned by the city recommends a 40-cent fare. The municipal council is expected to decide on a new bus fare in January or February.