According to Josué Piñeiro Torres, Commissioner of the Puerto Rico Fire Department, there have been 89 more forest fires this year compared to the same period in 2025. As of Sunday, the department has responded to 1,113 forest fires, with the southern and western areas of the island being the most prone to these incidents.
Piñeiro Torres identified heat, drought, and strong winds as the main factors contributing to the increased risk of forest fires. The Fire Department has 54 specialized firefighters in six brigades to address forest fires in various municipalities, including Juncos, Ponce, Guánica, Lajas, Cabo Rojo, and Camuy.
Piñeiro Torres urged citizens to take measures to prevent forest fires, such as not starting fires, ensuring that cooking fires are fully extinguished, and keeping combustible materials away from fire sources.