Holbox Fire Threatens Yum Balam Reserve

Holbox, Lázaro Cárdenas — A forest fire registered yesterday afternoon in the Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Reserve has put authorities and residents of Holbox island on alert. The fire was detected in the area known as La Ensenada, near Cabo Catoche, by tourism service providers who were conducting whale shark watching tours.

The conflagration is occurring in an area of high ecological relevance due to its richness in mangroves and lagoons, also considered a habitat for key species of the region. The area, also called Isla Grande, has been the center of controversy since 2012 due to a luxury tourism project promoted by the company Península Maya Developments, which contemplates the construction of villas, hotels, and golf courses. This plan has faced opposition from environmentalists and local inhabitants, who fear an irreversible impact on the ecosystem.

Although the official causes of the fire have not yet been released, local accounts do not rule out that it may have been started intentionally, within the framework of pressures to develop the tourist complex. Personnel from the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), firefighters, and Civil Protection went to the site to combat the flames and try to prevent the fire from spreading to other areas of the reserve. So far, there has been no information on the magnitude of the damages or if the fire has been completely controlled.