Wildfires devastate Nuevo Leon municipalities
Nuevo Leon, Mexico experienced a severe wildfire crisis with 239 fires reported, affecting multiple municipalities in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area. Governor Samuel García confirmed that firefighters had successfully extinguished 236 fires, with three remaining active in Monterrey, García, and Santa Catarina.
The governor attributed the unprecedented outbreak to unusual weather conditions: a cold front with just 1% humidity coinciding with hot temperatures, creating ideal conditions for fire spread. Most fires originated in vacant lots before spreading to other areas, causing damage to electrical infrastructure and severely compromising air quality throughout the region.
In Monterrey, a forest fire on Cerro del Topo Chico mountain has affected three hectares, with containment at 50%. The Santa Catarina blaze damaged 23 hectares along the García highway after spreading from a vacant lot to a car lot and auto parts store. Drone footage captured heavy dark plumes of smoke rising from factory fires in the town of García, though state civil protection reported this particular fire was under control.
Emergency services evacuated approximately 80 workers from a company in Santa Catarina as flames advanced from a pasture toward a corral. The Environment Ministry expanded an environmental contingency alert that had been in place before the fires, urging residents to avoid outdoor activities until conditions improve.
Authorities have arrested ten suspects potentially connected to the incidents. Local media noted that March coincides with one of Nuevo Leon's three yearly deadlines for landowners to clear vacant lots, suggesting a possible connection as landowners sometimes burn lots to cheaply comply with clearance regulations.
The coordinated response has involved state agencies including the No fatalities have been reported despite the extensive fires.
