Wildfire spreads inland; tourism zone on alert

A fire that ignited three days ago in the dry forest north of San Marcos has consumed more than 2,800 hectares and is moving toward the Laguna Verde tourism zone, the Costa Mar Regional Government said on Saturday. Governor Solomon Adeyemi declared a regional emergency on Friday and activated the peninsula's mutual-aid protocols with neighbouring regions for firefighting support.

The fire's advance depends on wind patterns forecast for the coming week. If the trade winds shift as expected, the flames could reach the lodge district by Wednesday. If they do not, the zone may be spared, though the uncertainty has already prompted several hotels to cancel bookings and reroute guests to coastal properties in Puerto Azul.

The interior forest—a mix of secondary growth and protected watershed—has not burned at this scale in twelve years. The regional fire service attributes the rapid spread to three consecutive dry seasons, which have left the canopy unusually parched. Tourism operators and conservation groups are watching the fire's path as a test of the peninsula's preparedness for climate-driven emergencies.