The first major forest fire of the 2023 season affecting the mountain range that divides Lake Chapala’s north shore and Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos broke out on Saturday, March 19.
The area where the blaze was detected is the Mesa de los Encinos, located above Ajijic in the vicinity of the Tempizque arroyo.
Protección Civil y Bomberos de Chapala coordinated efforts to quell the flames, with support of firefighters from Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos, Tlajomulco de Zuñiga and the Jalisco state government, as well as Ajijic’s volunteer Brigada Xupinayatl. Authoriities estimate that approximately 44 hectares of forest land was scorched in the incident, presumably sparked by the burning of an agricultural plot that got out of control due to windy conditions.
Although clearing farming fields is prohibited without prior notification and supervision by local fire department personnel, the ancient practice is considered to be the principal cause of brush and forest fires that occur during the dry season.