Two serious forest fires were recorded on the night of August 13 in the municipality of La Vega, in Cundinamarca. This emergency occurred near the area known as Alto de Minas.
According to the authorities’ report, known by EL TIEMPO, apparently, a man died in an accident and was intoxicated.
During his funeral, his friends reportedly set off fireworks, which would have caused the conflagrations. The flames nearly reached some nearby homes. The events were recorded on video.
What happened on the Bogotá – La Vega road reflects a lack of awareness and responsibility. Using fireworks (“voladores”) at a funeral sparked a #ForestFire in the Las Minas sector.
— Captain Alvaro Eduardo Farfán Vargas (@BomberoFarfan) August 14, 2026
Saying goodbye to a loved one does not justify putting a community at risk. pic.twitter.com/Yy1IGs5mRz
According to the governor of Cundinamarca, Jorge Emilio Rey, due to the large scale of the emergency, the fire departments of Tenjo and Cota moved to the area with water tankers to support the efforts to control and extinguish the flames.
Captain Álvaro Farfán spoke about the fires recorded in La Vega
The departmental delegate of Firefighters of Cundinamarca, captain Álvaro Eduardo Farfán Vargas, spoke through his account on X about the fire and said: “What happened on the Bogotá – La Vega road reflects a lack of awareness and responsibility”.
He added: “Saying goodbye to a loved one does not justify putting a community at risk”.
The mayor of La Vega assured that the fires were controlled
“We already have the fire, fortunately, under control. If I haven’t spoken on social media, it’s not because I’m sleeping, I’m working,” said the mayor of La Vega, Nelson Bermúdez, through his social media.
He added: “We were putting out the fire that started between Cacahual Avenue and Olla Grande; from there I moved to this place. Thanks to the communities for their support as well”.
Pedro A. Sánchez
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