Illegal Land Clearing Fires Threaten Cancún’s Remaining Jungle

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Authorities have raised alarms as illegal land clearing fires threaten Cancún’s remaining jungle during the peak wildfire season from March to May. The fires stem from people using flames to clear land for irregular property demarcation in areas near strategic projects and urban growth zones, where real estate speculation has become the main risk factor for the local ecosystem.

Unlike other regions of the state where poaching is the primary problem, in municipalities like Benito Juárez the danger comes from opening paths and clearing lots. People seeking to demarcate land irregularly use fire to “clean” areas, which combined with severe current drought conditions creates fires that spiral out of control within minutes.

“99% of fires are caused by humans. We have significant problems with people who are demarcating land irregularly and burning to impact the soil, looking to build or speculate with land,” said Antonio Riveroll Ribbon, director of Civil Protection in Benito Juárez.

He explained the concern isn’t just ecological but also involves citizen safety and impacts on public services, since a forest fire near water lines could leave the entire municipality without supply.

The official added that in areas like the airport corridor and the road to Mérida, smoke affects visibility for air operations and traffic on Highway 307.

Other risk situations include events like the magnifying glass effect, caused by accumulated trash and glass containers along highway rights-of-way that can act as triggers during high temperatures.

As a persuasive measure, authorities reminded citizens and developers that current regulations are strict: if a property suffers a deliberately set fire, land use restrictions of up to 20 or 30 years can be imposed.

This measure aims to stop the intention of burning to build, ensuring environmental damage doesn’t translate into immediate economic benefit.

With the arrival of the most critical months (March and April), the Civil Protection director said that given the absence of significant rainfall, they’ve established a joint work calendar with neighboring municipalities: Isla Mujeres, Lázaro Cárdenas and Puerto Morelos.

“The objective is to work as a team to prevent fires at municipal borders from escalating into major disasters,” he said.

Finally, the official urged the public to avoid burning trash or leaves in private homes, since extremely dry soil facilitates fire spread toward more vegetated areas.