Wildfire threatens Colombia's Villa de Leyva as record heat fuels 18 blazes nationwide

A massive forest fire burning near the Andean town of Villa de Leyva is threatening the popular tourist destination, as Colombia battles multiple wildfires amid record-breaking temperatures fuelled by El Nino and intense drought, Al Jazeera reports.

The blaze is on the San Marcos hillside above Villa de Leyva in the Boyaca department, sending plumes of smoke visible from the town’s central square. Flames have already consumed 40 hectares of native forest, according to Colombian authorities, and are closing in on the colonial architecture and cobblestone streets that draw more than a million visitors a year.

On Saturday night, President Abelardo de la Espriella posted on X that “Villa de Leyva is not alone”, pledging to mobilise all state resources to fight the fire and protect “this historical jewel”.

The Boyaca department government is dispatching two aircraft, with a military helicopter also joining the effort, Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara said. Firefighters from the capital, Bogota, are deploying alongside crews from Tunja and Boyaca, with Bogota mayor Carlos Fernando Galan sending a team to reinforce containment.

The fire is one of 18 active wildfires across Colombia, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). “El Nino can bring devastating climate extremes on its own, but it’s unfolding today on a much warmer planet,” said Stephanie Roe, lead climate scientist with the World Wildlife Fund.

Sources

• Al Jazeera: “Central Colombia forest fire threatens tourist town of Villa de Leyva” — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/20/central-colombia-forest-fire-threatens-tourist-town-of-villa-de-leyva?traffic_source=rss