France will deploy a contingent of one hundred firefighters to Bolivia to combat the devastating forest fires affecting three out of the country’s nine departments, ravaged by a severe drought, announced President Luis Arce on Tuesday. Expressing gratitude for the “gesture of solidarity” from French President Emmanuel Macron, Arce shared the news on X, formerly Twitter.
The exact arrival date of the French firefighters has not been disclosed yet, but they are expected to join the intensive efforts already underway by Bolivian brigades in the departments of La Paz, Beni, and Santa Cruz. The surge in grassland and forest fires since mid-year, driven mainly by settlers and private companies seeking to expand agricultural frontiers during the dry season, has led to the consumption of 2.9 million hectares, including 935,000 hectares of forests, as per the latest report from the Ministry of Environment.
The scale of the fires has impacted at least four natural parks, including Madidi, Pilón Lajas, Noel Kempff Mercado, and Isiboro Sécure. In a show of solidarity, Venezuela will also contribute to the international effort by sending 30 firefighters to combat the flames at the entrance to the Madidi natural reserve, according to Bolivian authorities.