Two Wildfires Hit Quito in One Day — Here's How Much Damage They Left Behind

An aerial photograph shows thick plumes of smoke and active flames consuming vegetation along the mountainous slopes surrounding Quito, Ecuador, as emergency crews respond to multiple wildfires threatening the capital. (Credit: Rodrigo BUENDIA / AFP via Getty Images)

A wildfire tore through Quito's La Vicentina and Itchimbía districts on Sunday, September 13, sending a column of smoke visible from Carcelén to Bicentenario before crews declared the blaze controlled by 8:30 p.m. that night. By the time the flames died down, an estimated 5 hectares of vegetation had burned, according to Quito's Fire Department.

The fire — one of two that broke out across the capital the same day — forced the closure of a major avenue and triggered air-quality monitoring in 169 neighborhoods, a reminder of how vulnerable Quito remains deep into Ecuador's dry season.