Puerto Rico’s Fire Bureau controlled, Friday afternoon, a second forest fire reported on the grounds of the Río Piedras Botanical Garden. Ivonne Rosario, spokesperson for the Fire Bureau, confirmed to El Nuevo Día that personnel had controlled the fire, though it had not yet been fully extinguished, meaning the flames were contained but not yet completely out.
Rosario said the fire occurred in the same area as another forest fire recorded on August 21, which took about eight hours to fully extinguish. The San Juan Municipal Office for Emergency Management (OMME) assisted with tanker trucks, and Puerto Rico Police were also on scene. A smoke column was spotted rising from the grounds shortly after noon, and no injuries were reported.
This fire came just 11 days after another blaze at the same site consumed about 20 cuerdas of land. Nearby residents, including from the University Gardens neighborhood, reported the fire was reaching part of Villa Nevárez, describing hearing explosion-like sounds and sirens, with one resident complaining of eye irritation and allergies from the smoke.