And while the long and hot dry season has the dams running on close to empty - it's a lot worse in the south where hundreds of families have been affected by fires which are burning into their third week.
NEMO and the area representative gave a broad overview in a press conference today at the Machaca Emergency Operations Centre outside Punta Gorda. They explained that while the fires are dying off, the after effects on the families who have lost their crops will last for a long time after the flames have subsided.
With assistance from PGTV, we have the story:
Major Victor Briceno, BDF Attached to NEMO
"Current situation - the major fires have subsided across the district, because during the weekend it showed on the chronology that a lot of fires have increased, but now, most of it has burnt out and now it has subsided and there are only flare up's."
Kenton Parham, NEMO Toledo Emergency Coordinator
"The initial situation overview right now is approximately 200 families, totaling around 800 persons who were impacted by these fires spread across 19 communities so far that we have been looking at."
"Confirmed so far - this was as of yesterday evening - 300 acres of crops destroyed."
"So this is updated now to about 600 crop damage. This is not to say the rest of the forest, we are just dealing with crop damage in certain areas. This figure also changed this morning. It went up from 1 million to 3.1 million dollars currently. And we're still not done yet."
"People are still in the farms trying to fight fire and trying to save their livelihoods. Trying to save the farms."
And while that is happening right now - the effects on the loss of crops and livelihoods will be felt long into the future:
Oscar Requena, Area Rep - Toledo West
"The forest has been destroyed. You know water sources have been impacted. And I am certain that this is going to have a very long term devastating effect."
"right now is really to get on the ground to see first hand what is happening, to get a thorough assessment and evaluation. And really to quantify the damages so as to put in place a plan so as to address the needs both short term and long term."
"I think this year has been the worst year that we have seen. And certainly moving forward we need to find a way to put in place a very viable plan.."
"to ensure that as much as possible this kind of recurrence is mitigated as much as possible."
And one way to do that is to cease the practice of crop burning:
Oscar Requena, Area Rep - Toledo West
"In San Pedro Columbia the fire was actually started by someone who lit a plantation and left it unattended and really that was the genesis of the fire in San Pedro Columbia."
And I really think the time has come for us as farmers to revisit the issue of burning. There's a lot of more damage that is done. I mean we have instances where farmers probably cultivated two to three acres but when the fire escapes you have hundreds of acres that are destroyed. In this case here, thousands of acres."
Thousands of acres in hard to reach areas:
Kenton Parham, NEMO Toledo Emergency Coordinator
"it's rugged terrain. It's difficult. There are some places it's just trails, farmer trails and stuff, so most of it is rudimentary firefighting capabilities are being used."
Major Victor Briceno, BDF Attached to NEMO
"There was a search and rescue mission which located a woman and two children, that was a very well operation. The people were saved, they were well engulfed, well surrounded by the fire and we are happy that the firemen who saved them and went out there on that operation also did not lose their lives because it was very risky, they were very isolated within a deep area within the jungle."
And there is also heroism being shown by the community:
"The community is really coming together. The community has really created a bond to support each other. I have been out there lagoon with community members well into 12:30 - 1:00 o clock in the morning, you know actually carrying water and bringing out the people who are fighting fires."
The Prime Minister, who returned to the country earlier than expected, reportedly participated in a helicopter fly-over of the fire affected areas earlier today.
Minister of NEMO Andre Perez posted pictures and said in a caption, "I went on a tour as the Minister of Disaster Risk Management. That place is just like a hurricane, only worse."
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