Guatemala's president issues natural disaster declaration as 44 forest fires rage on

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GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s president issued a natural disaster declaration Wednesday as 44 forest fires continue to burn across the Central American country.

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President Bernardo Arévalo said that 80% of the fires were started by people. Farmers often burn stubble and grass in their fields around this time of year in preparation for planting.

Piles of waste continue to burn at a garbage dump in Villa Nueva, Guatemala, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. According to the Guatemalan emergency agency CONRED, 60 percent of the fire has been controlled as the poor air quality in the country's capital caused schools to close for two days.  (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

"The current situation is not a coincidence, 80% of those fires were set," Arévalo said.

Authorities canceled classes across three central provinces to protect students from the prevailing smoke. One of the largest fires is near a suburb of Guatemala City, the capital.

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The declaration frees up funding for fire fighting efforts.

Guatemala is more accustomed to dealing with its restive volcanoes than forest fires.