The fire had affected about 290 hectares and was 50% controlled at the reporting cutoff, after preventive evacuations and 170 aerial drops. Colombia was monitoring 27 wildfires: 19 active and eight under control.
At least 895,657 hectares have burned since January, while respiratory cases in affected provinces exceeded 113,000 by September 9. El Niño worsens drought, but human ignition, drained peatlands and forest degradation explain the crisis.
Lower rainfall, high temperatures and dry soils are amplifying fires that are overwhelmingly human-caused. Tolima accounts for nearly 30,000 affected hectares, according to the Humboldt Institute, which recommends isolation, monitoring regeneration and choosing passive or active restoration by site.
Resolution 1070 temporarily suspended controlled open burning across Colombia's rural territory. The measure responds to El Niño, 539 municipalities under alerts and 600 fires that had affected 14,872 hectares by 15 August.
Sea-surface temperature averaged 20.96°C, delivering a second consecutive monthly record, Copernicus says. The tropical Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean concentrated anomalies, while July tied the second-highest global temperature at 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels.
The projected October–December peak would arrive at the end of the dry season, with low rivers, flammable vegetation and delayed rains. It raises drought and fire risks into early 2027, although intensity and local impacts are not yet determined.
The update cited by UOL assigns a 69% chance that the RONI index reaches at least +2.5°C in October–December. Pacific warming is real, but “super El Niño” is not a WMO operational category and no seasonal forecast determines local weather on its own.
The government called for conservation ahead of a possible drought as regions already endure power cuts of up to ten hours and intermittent water. Experts warn the climate phenomenon would be an aggravating factor, not the cause of a grid weakened by years of underinvestment and delayed maintenance.
Brazil's Fire Bulletin records about 2 million hectares burned in 2026, compared with more than 3 million in the historical average for the same period. The Caatinga is 8% above its average, while a possible strong El Niño keeps risks elevated.
The World Meteorological Organization expects warming in the central and eastern Pacific to develop into a strong event during August-October 2026. Its overlap with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole may shift rainfall and raise heat, drought, flood and wildfire risks.