A large-scale fire is affecting the Celaque National Park in Honduras.

Local communities, armed forces, and the Honduran Institute for Forest Conservation are joining forces to control the fires in Celaque. A large, inter-institutional operation is underway in Honduras to contain a massive forest fire affecting Celaque National Park, one of the country's most important protected areas, located in western Honduras. José Armando Ramírez, director of the Institute for Forest Conservation (ICF), reported that approximately 800 people have been working for four days to combat the fire. The fire originated in the San Manuel sector, in the Lempira department, and has spread to difficult-to-access areas within the protected area. The operations involve teams from the ICF, three battalions of the Honduran Army, and volunteers from local communities, distributed across different fronts to try to contain the flames under adverse weather and geographical conditions. Authorities have warned that the impact of forest fires in the country could be much greater than initially estimated, as the areas affected nationwide could reach up to 27,000 hectares, due to the reactivation of fire outbreaks in various parts of the country. Areas with recent reports of fires include Casablanca, in Danlí, El Paraíso, where a fire that had been controlled has reactivated, as well as other areas in the east and west of the country. The head of the ICF specified that in some areas, temporary camps have been set up so that the brigades can begin their work early, given the complexity of the terrain and the magnitude of the active fires. The operational cost of fighting the fire in Celaque exceeds 1.2 million lempiras in just four days, according to the ICF. Regarding Celaque National Park, authorities estimate that up to 1,000 people have been involved each day at different times during the operation. This has represented a significant operational cost, as, according to Ramírez, approximately 1.2 million lempiras have been invested in salaries and working hours alone in four days. The environmental impact is significant: authorities point to the loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, and the impact on water sources that originate in this protected area, considered crucial for the water supply of nearby communities. In addition to Celaque, the country has experienced multiple forest fires in recent days. The Honduran Armed Forces reported that over the weekend they participated in the fight and control of at least 15 active fires in several departments, including Francisco Morazán, Lempira, Santa Bárbara, El Paraíso, Olancho, and Cortés. The loss of biodiversity and the impact on water sources represent critical environmental consequences of the fire in Celaque National Park. The areas affected include Tatumbla, Santa Rosa de Copán, Zamorano, Gracias a Dios, Valle de Jamastrán, and Santa Lucía, which reflects the extent of the phenomenon throughout much of the national territory. So far in 2024, the Armed Forces have intervened in the control of 304 forest fires, which have consumed more than 3,600 hectares, mobilizing more than 4,800 military personnel in prevention and firefighting tasks. Authorities at the ICF indicated that the causes of the fire in San Manuel, Lempira, are being investigated to identify responsibilities and determine whether human intervention was involved, in a context where the lack of citizen reports continues to represent an obstacle to the judicialization of these environmental crimes. Currently, emergency teams are continuing their work in Celaque National Park, hoping to contain the fire in the coming days and prevent further damage to one of Honduras's main forest areas.