[REVISION HISTORY]

Peru and Bolivia forest fire crisis

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-07 08:55 UTC → 2026-08-07 17:27 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Late July 2026 a wave of forest fires spread across the Andes. In Peru, uncontrolled agricultural burns in Cusco sparked large blazes in Quispicanchi and Calca; Bolivia’s Santa Cruz saw three wildfires in Chiquitanía, scorching more than 30,000 ha of dry forest and threatening indigenous communities. Emergency brigades, the Bolivian Navy and local volunteers responded, and investigations were opened in Peru. On 31 July a fire broke out on Poques hill within the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. Park rangers, municipal brigades and civil‑defence units contained the blaze by early 1 August, and monitoring continued to protect the site’s biodiversity. A separate fire in Moquegua’s El Algarrobal valley was quickly suppressed with no injuries. On 4 August a mixed‑type wildfire near Cerro Poques burned about 1.5 ha of primary forest at kilometre 107.4 on the access road, on slopes as steep as 70 percent. The blaze caused rock falls onto the Ollantaybamba‑Machu Picchu railway corridor. Specialized Sernanp brigades—15 park rangers, eight municipal workers and six transport‑company staff—were reinforced by military personnel. The Ministry of Environment and Mincetur suspended train operations on the Ollantaybambo–Machu Picchu line, cancelling three departures from Ollantaybambo and seven from Machu Picchu, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded during the high‑season period when up to 5,600 visitors arrive daily. ~~Authorities continue~~ The National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) kept permanent monitoring of an underground fire first detected on 3 August within the Machu Picchu sanctuary, issuing technical reports to ~~prevent re‑ignition.~~ regional emergency and disaster‑risk agencies on 3‑4 August and continuing to track its evolution.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.