Colombian officials request air support for severe forest fires in Nariño

Mayor Adriana María López Marroquín of Cumbitara and regional deputy Isabel Rodríguez appealed for urgent assistance as forest fires have raged since last Wednesday across the municipalities of Cumbitara and Los Andes. The blaze has consumed large tracts of land, threatening the water catchment that supplies the Pizanda corregimiento and surrounding villages.

The officials called on the Colombian Air Force to provide aircraft, noting that national firefighters have already authorized the operation. Coordination is under way among the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the Army and the Air Force to combine ground efforts with possible aerial intervention.

The fires are in rugged, hard‑to‑reach terrain, raising concerns about further spread and damage to biodiversity and local livelihoods.