Safety & Weather

INAMHI says elevated daytime temperatures, wind, and very high ultraviolet radiation will persist in 11 provinces through August 23. The Sierra is included in the warning, with extreme UV expected in parts of the country on Friday.

Ecuador’s El Niño index has remained active for about seven consecutive weeks. Ocean temperatures off the country are still anomalously warm, and international projections point to potentially strong conditions between October and December.

Azuay is one of 10 provinces where Ecuador extended the state of exception for another 30 days. The intelligence report cited in the decree identifies Los Lobos activity in Cuenca Norte, Cuenca Sur, and Camilo Ponce Enríquez, with an eventual presence of Sao Box also reported.

Forest fires in Cuenca canton rose from two to 19 during the August holiday period compared with the same period last year. Firefighters say the incidents affected more than 120 hectares and required more than 50,000 gallons of water from the public network.

Cuenca recorded at least 15 forest fires during the August 10 holiday period, affecting more than 200,000 square meters of green areas. Firefighters are asking residents to avoid burning vegetation in rural zones.

A motorcycle crash near Parque Jacaranda killed one man early August 7, according to ECU911 information cited by El Mercurio.

The Federation of Cuenca Neighborhoods says residents are reporting robberies, nonfunctioning community alarms, and closed UPC units. The concern is based on community reports and perception data, not a new citywide crime-rate calculation.

All Azuay GADs have validated action plans for the El Niño response, with road work, risk-zone cleanups, infrastructure, and technical inspections among the planned measures.

Cuenca firefighters responded to eight vegetation fires on July 29, and one resident was hurt after trying to control a fire personally. Fire crews are urging people to call emergency services immediately and stay out of the flames.