Quito: Ecuador's government declared a 60-day national emergency due to raging forest fires made worse by a severe drought, risk management officials said on Monday. The South American country faces 13 active wildfires and another nine that have been controlled, according to an update from the government's communications office. According to Bahrain News Agency, "The whole country is suffering the ravages of this great drought that has already lasted almost 120 days," Risk Management Secretary Jorge Carrillo told local radio broadcaster FM Mundo. He emphasized the importance of utilizing aerial support to combat the wildfires, as the rugged terrain often requires firefighters to spend up to three hours reaching the fires by land. In the most-affected provinces, Azuay and Loja, the flames have consumed more than 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres).
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