BOGOTA (Colombia), Aug 15 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Emergency response agencies in Colombia are facing an unprecedented multi-front crisis as dozens of active wildfires spread rapidly, compounding recovery efforts following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck earlier this week, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
A total of 344 municipalities have been placed under a red alert for wildfire threats, a staggering 93 per cent single-day surge driven by severe heat and dry conditions, according to the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM).
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management on Friday reported dozens of active conflagrations concentrated primarily in the departments of Tolima, Cesar, Norte de Santander, Antioquia, Narino and Santander.
Authorities have deployed firefighters, military units, emergency personnel and aerial support in a race to contain the blazes.
In regional reports, officials indicated that destroyed vegetation, crops and homes have exceeded 11,000 hectares (27,182 acres) in multiple municipalities.
The environmental forecast offers little relief.
IDEAM projections indicate a 90 per cent probability that the El Nino phenomenon will persist through early 2027, with intense heat anomalies expected to peak toward the end of the year.
The surge in wildfires has severely strained emergency crews already deployed at maximum capacity following the Aug 10 quake.
Official disaster unit reports place the death toll at 288, with 4,018 injured, 12,504 homes destroyed, and more than 80,000 structures damaged.
Firefighting crews from various departments, including Risaralda, one of the regions affected by the quake, have been dispatched to tackle the fires, although authorities said they are short-staffed.
Complicating the response, national risk management agencies are also monitoring heightened activity at the Purace volcano in the southern department of Cauca, forcing authorities to simultaneously manage multiple major natural hazards.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU