Los Illinizas Ecological Reserve fire consumes 200 hectares

A forest fire has consumed approximately 200 hectares of páramo in the Los Illinizas Ecological Reserve, specifically in the El Chaupi sector of the Mejía canton, Pichincha province. The emergency was first reported late on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Emergency response efforts involve a coordinated mobilization of multiple institutions, including the fire departments of Mejía, Latacunga, and Cayambe, the Municipality of Mejía, the Ecuadorian Red Cross, and the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. The National Risk Management Secretariat and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition are also participating in the operations.

Aerial rescue squadrons have conducted flyovers to identify the magnitude and extent of the blaze, while ground teams perform suppression, liquidation, and extinction tasks to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas of the reserve, which could threaten vital water resources and the broader ecosystem. The Los Illinizas Ecological Reserve spans parts of Pichincha, Cotopaxi, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.