• FIRES: Nine fires have raged during the first five weeks of 2020 across Guadalajara’s La Primavera Forest (the wilderness area west of Mexico’s second-largest city) raising concerns of a tough fire season, that could top the 142 fires recorded last year, per local authorities.
• EXTENSION: A natural protected area extending more than 75,000 acres (305 square km), La Primavera Forest is a pine, oak, and cactus forest, that provides key environmental services to the Guadalajara metro area (pop. 5 million). Peak fire season starts in April.
• NATIONAL: Mexico’s National Forest Commission (CONAFOR) said this week they recorded 7,410 forest fires in 2019, causing damage to more than 1,500,000 acres of land (2,440 square kilometers) and killing 19 people. The main reason behind the fires was a historic drought.
• PREVENTION: Right between the Zapopan, Tala and Tlajomulco municipalities, La Primavera Forest saw 9,200 damaged acres of land (37 square kilometers) last year. The forest serves as ‘the lungs’ of Guadalajara with deer, coyotes, armadillos, and occasionally a puma.
