By Ivy L. Alarcón 
During Easter week Mexico was alarmed by a latent threat, forest fires. Although their presence is common in the country due to the type of ecosystems present, lately they have become a factor of concern for environmental safety. The increase in fires has already affected 21 states in total and the situation seems to continue.
On March 26 alone, 168 fires were reported in the country on the same day. To fight them, 8,380 people and 8 helicopters were needed in 5 different states. In view of this, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he “does not rule out” that the wave of fires may have been caused by real estate companies, as he stated during a press conference.
According to the National Forest Fire Weekly Report, 667 forest fires have been recorded during 2024. This study is developed by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, together with the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR). This year has seen a significant increase in the number and area affected by fires.
According to CONAFOR, 2023 was one of the most critical years in forest fires, with 1,047,493 hectares burned. The states with the highest number of fires were the State of Mexico, CDMX and Michoacán. The states with the largest areas affected were Jalisco, Chihuahua and Chiapas. It is estimated that 33.13% of the fires are caused intentionally, 19.04% by agricultural activities, 8.25% by livestock activities, 6.75% by campfires, among other reasons. However, the origin of the March 26 fires has not yet been determined with certainty.