Colombian emergency crews raised containment of a major wildfire near the historic town of Villa de Leyva to 75% on Monday after flames burned about 338 hectares of mountain vegetation, authorities said. The fire, which began Saturday in the La Castellana area and on San Marcos hill in Boyacá department, prompted a declaration of public calamity, preventive evacuations and the suspension of in-person classes. Officials reported no injuries or homes destroyed by Monday, although one lodging property and tourist trails were reported damaged.
The National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said it was coordinating the response with national and local agencies. Roughly 500 firefighters, police officers, soldiers, civil-defense and Red Cross personnel, residents and volunteers worked on the ground, while helicopters dropped water on difficult terrain. Earlier in the operation, four aircraft made about 170 drops totaling approximately 240,000 liters, according to Boyacá Governor Carlos Amaya. Strong winds repeatedly rekindled hot spots and complicated access to the upper slopes.
The fire at times advanced to within a few hundred meters of populated areas and threatened hotels above Villa de Leyva's central square. Crews protected the colonial center, and by Monday the most active front had shifted away from the historic district toward higher ground bordering Chíquiza and Sáchica. The changing direction reduced the immediate danger to buildings but brought the flames closer to the Iguaque flora and fauna sanctuary, an ecosystem of páramo, high Andean forest and glacial lakes covering 6,889 hectares.
Authorities were investigating the cause. Environment Minister Fabio Arjona said preliminary information indicated the blaze may have been deliberately started, while Boyacá officials offered a reward of up to 45 million Colombian pesos for information if criminal responsibility is confirmed. No arrests had been reported, and officials stressed that the hypothesis remained under investigation. Dry vegetation, steep topography and powerful winds helped the fire spread after ignition.
The emergency forms part of a wider surge in Colombian wildfires. The national disaster agency said authorities were monitoring 27 forest fires, including 19 active outbreaks, while the weather service had placed 279 municipalities under some level of wildfire warning and 36 under red alert. Government figures cited by the Associated Press show that 438 forest fires affected about 7,153 hectares in 191 municipalities between June 16 and August 6. Neighboring Ecuador was also fighting fires after more than 21,800 hectares burned there this year.
The regional outlook remains concerning as El Niño strengthens in the tropical Pacific. The climate pattern can suppress rainfall and raise temperatures in parts of Colombia, creating drier fuels and helping fires spread; disaster officials expect the highest-risk period between October and April. Crews in Villa de Leyva still had active hot spots to extinguish despite the 75% containment estimate, and authorities said operations would continue until the perimeter was secure and environmental damage could be assessed.
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