Quito's fire-extinguishers

During this week, the number of hectares devastated by the fire rose up to 180 and, according to Manuel Sanchez, coordinator of the Plan fire, the firemen have intervened in 800 fires of different magnitudes.

 " The fires most difficult to control have been those of the Ilaló, Zámbiza, Nayón, The Quinche and that of the Pichincha ", was commented by it. It added that the valleys, for his climatic conditions, are the sectors most inclined to catch fire.

 For your part, David Piedra, chief of Operations of the Fire brigade, held that these forest fires are more difficult to control that the urban ones

.According to Stone, in closed structures, a gallon of water generates 1 800 cubic centimeters of steam that, on having moistened the walls, help that the fire does not advance. " In forest zones, on the other hand, the steam disperses and does not produces any effect to itself ", was commented by it.

 Sanchez made clear that, in case of the Metropolitan District, the situation worsens due to the fact that " the firemen fight in addition with the topography of the area, which is very irregular and, because of the dry climate, it is full of combustible material ".

In what it goes of the season of fires, indicated the coordinator, the firemen suffer slight wounds every day for these factors. The human quota of the Plan Fire belongs closely 300 persons, and 500 have invested this year $ thousand that have destined to contract in the main supervisory personnel and to spreading the campaign of raising awareness of the plan