
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Ecuador on Monday (November 18) declared a 60-day state of national emergency amid raging wildfires, which have resulted in evacuations and the destruction of 24,700 acres of land, Reuters reports. The situation has remained critical.
As of Monday, Ecuador’s firefighting efforts were focused on 13 fires, nine of which had been brought under control. The fires have destroyed large sections of protected areas, including Cajas National Park, which houses diverse flora and fauna.
The fires, which affected the provinces of Azuay and Loja especially, were exacerbated by a four-month-long severe drought that caused water shortages and power outages of up to 14 hours a day, Reuters said.
“The whole country is suffering the ravages of this great drought that has already lasted almost 120 days,” Ecuador’s Risk Management Secretary Jorge Carrillo told local radio broadcaster FM Mundo.
Carrillo stressed the importance of fighting the fire by air as many affected areas with rugged terrain are exceedingly difficult to reach by land. International assistance has been sought, and Italy and Peru have provided firefighting helicopters, AFP reported.
Other South American countries, including Peru and Brazil, have also faced droughts and ensuing wildfires this year.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
At least 145 people were injured, and many rushed to hospitals after a massive fire broke out at a natural gas pipeline near Malaysia’s largest city officials confirmed.
Devoted Christians in Indonesia say several churches are facing growing opposition in the mainly Muslim nation as local leaders and residents are cracking down on Christian gatherings in at least three regions.
Christians have appealed for prayers after the chief minister of India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh announced plans to impose the death penalty on those convicted “of forced or fraudulent religious conversions.”
Hui Christian Pastor Ma Yan was sentenced to a nine-month prison term for “organizing illegal gatherings” in China, according to a Christian persecution advocacy group.
Human rights group Amnesty International urged Hungary on Monday to “hand over” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the International Criminal Court (ICC) after officials confirmed that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will host him later this week.
Britain’s government rushed Monday to reach a last-minute trade agreement with the United States Washington to avoid — or at least mitigate — more tariffs set to be announced on Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump.
France’s fiercely anti-immigration and populist politician Marine Le Pen pledged to fight for her political life after being convicted of embezzlement by a French court and barred from running in the next election in 2027.