Fire in Bolivia

A state of emergency has been declared for the eastern region of Santa Cruz as wildfires swept across large swathes of Bolivia. Over 460,000 hectares of forest and grassland have been damaged.

The areas most affected by the fires are Robore and San Ignacio de Velasco, although work to control the fire is being carried out in other locations including San Rafael, Charagua, Concepcion, San Matias, and San Jose de Chiquitos.

Two helicopters alongside 600 police officers and firefighters have been deployed for evacuations and fire control. Relief efforts have also deployed with water, food and gas masks to help displaced people.