Firefighters are battling a forest fire near Ecuador's capital. Residents were evacuated from homes that were engulfed in flames. Strong gusts of wind are making extinguishing the blaze difficult.
Four forest fires broke out Wednesday around the Ecuadorian capital, Qutio. Firefighters were still trying to extinguish one on Thursday, on the northern outskirts of the city. “We had to evacuate residents from four houses that were just a few meters from the fire,” said Fabio Naranjo of the emergency services.
There is no information about victims or injured people.
– We didn't know what to do. The flames were all around us – described one resident, who rushed to move her pets and farm animals to safety.
Residents fled their homes with their animals.Reuters
The weather is making it difficult to extinguish the fire. Strong winds are causing the flames to spread easily to other places. Volunteers are involved in extinguishing the fire.
The capital of Ecuador was shrouded in thick smoke from the fire. Air quality deteriorated significantly, especially in the central districts.
Main image source: Reuters