Bolivia declares a state of disaster in San Lorenzo due to forest fires

Published at: 20/07/2026 02:03 PM

The municipality of San Lorenzo, located in the department of Tarija, Bolivia, entered a state of emergency this Sunday under the category of disaster due to the advance of forest fires in the region.

Local authorities made the technical measure official after verifying that the magnitude of the accidents exceeded the operational and logistical capacity of the response teams deployed in the rural area, international media reported.

The issuance of this decree empowers the municipal administration to reallocate budgetary allocations immediately. In addition, the regulations enable legal mechanisms to request extraordinary financial assistance and direct operational support from the central Government of Bolivia to contain the spread of fire.

Civil brigade personnel and members of the Bolivian Army concentrate their contingency work on protecting the communities of Quirullas, Ancahuasi and the Campanario Crossing, identified as the points of greatest vulnerability due to the proximity of the flames.
Technical reports indicate that the fire began to spread last Thursday. Adverse weather conditions, characterized by strong winds and low humidity, made it impossible for volunteer fire departments to contain the fire in its initial stage.

Mazo News Team