Central Colombia forest fire threatens tourist town of Villa de Leyva

A major forest fire has erupted on the San Marcos hillside overlooking Villa de Leyva in the Boyaca department of central Colombia, local authorities reported. The blaze has consumed roughly 40 hectares of native forest and produced large plumes of smoke that can be seen from the town’s central square, officials said.

Colombian authorities are deploying multiple assets to tackle the flames. The Boyaca department government said it had dispatched two aircraft, and a military helicopter will join the effort, while Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara reported that firefighters from the capital, Bogota, along with local crews from Tunja and Boyaca, are reinforcing containment operations. Bogota’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, announced he would send a team of city firefighters to support the response.

President Abelardo de la Espriella posted on X that "Villa de Leyva is not alone," and pledged to mobilise all state resources to protect the town, which is known for its colonial architecture and cobblestone streets and draws more than a million visitors each year. Local officials are focusing on both suppressing the fire on the hillside and securing Villa de Leyva’s urban areas from encroaching flames and smoke.

The outbreak comes amid an escalation of wildfire activity across Colombia during a severe El Nino event. Authorities reported 18 active wildfires nationwide in the latest data from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). Experts and officials attribute the increased fire risk to record high temperatures and prolonged drought that have left Andean vegetation dry and more susceptible to ignition. Stephanie Roe, lead climate scientist at the World Wildlife Fund, warned that El Nino’s impacts are being amplified by a warmer climate, increasing the likelihood of extreme heat, drought, floods and fires that can overwhelm communities and ecosystems.