Fires Rage Out of Control In And Around Mérida
The relatively early arrival of extreme heat to Yucatán has brought with it hundreds of fires, big and small.
Fire Extinguished Near Ancient Temples at Dzoyilá
A fire at the archaeological site Dzoyilá burned aside dry grass and weeds that covered Maya temples that had become overgrown with brush. Contained in Fracc. Granjas in Mérida’s south, behind the Leones baseball stadium, Dzoyilá was a small Mayan residential area that archaeologists say was inhabited for nearly 1,300 years starting around 300 BCE….
Massive industrial fire in Mérida’s north continues to burn
A contingent of 150 firefighters has been working to temper the blaze and avoid its spread.
70 days after fire, no progress restoring Teatro Peón Contreras
For culture lovers, this has been the season without the Teatro Peón Contreras, the historic opera house that was badly damaged in a fire on Nov. 1. While early on, officials had hoped that Mérida’s most historic performance venue would re-open by spring 2023, now they say that restoration work won’t even begin until June…
Can the symphony return to the Peón Contreras ‘before spring’?
Mérida Mayor Renán Barrera Concha said authorities are aiming for the Teatro José Peon Contreras to reopen its doors “before spring.” The famed opera house — Yucatán’s most prominent performance space — was badly damaged in a fire last week. In a radio interview, the mayor shared more detail on the fire’s cause. The blaze…
Photos put Peón Contreras fire damage into focus
Yucatán’s Attorney General’s Office ruled that, as suspected, a short circuit caused a fire that seriously damaged the José Peón Contreras theater. Starting at the third-floor audio booth, the Péon Contreras fire rose to the top of the landmark building, blackening a 1907 fresco that graced the interior of the auditorium’s dome, said the Fiscalía…
Mérida theater’s stunning fresco may be its most painful loss
Mérida’s landmark Teatro Peón Contreras remains a jewel but the public still doesn’t know how tarnished its treasures are after Tuesday’s fire. The Yucatán Symphony Orchestra has suspended ticket sales and is apparently looking for an alternative space. But how about its Steinway grand piano and other instruments? The curtains are almost certainly ruined, but…
First photos of fire damage fail to answer questions at Peón Contreras
Local broadcaster Telesur released photos showing fire damage following Tuesday’s blaze inside the historic Peón Contreras theater. But the grainy images only appear to show damage at a section of the upper-level balcony near the sound engineer’s room where a short circuit apparently caused the fire. What’s visible in the rest of the auditorium seems…
Out-of-control fire rages through Valladolid garbage dump
A large fire that broke out Sunday morning continued to burn today despite the efforts of city and state fire departments. The tightly packed garbage dump is also releasing toxic fumes. “We would certainly welcome help from nature in the form of a good rain right about now,” an unidentified firefighter told Diario de Yucatán. …
ADO bursts into flames on route to Cancún from Mérida over the weekend
An ADO passenger bus on its way to Cancún from Mérida suddenly burst into flames.
Another bus catches fire in Mérida, raising safety concerns
A short circuit in the electrical systems of a passenger bus has been blamed for yet another fire on Mérida’s roads.
Bus full of construction workers catches fire in Mérida’s north
A bus went up in flames just before 8 this morning in Mérida’s Francisco de Montejo neighborhood.
Fire damages Izamal’s famous Kinich restaurant
A short circuit caused a fire that destroyed a large palapa roof at Izamal’s most famous restaurant, Kinich, officials said. Rescue workers this morning responded quickly and doused the flames, saving the rest of the restaurant from worse damage. The downtown landmark, noted prominently in guidebooks and blogs, was named one of Mexico’s best restaurants…
Young man says he is ‘no hero’ after saving disabled neighbor from fire
At just 18, Heider Alexander Cruz Reyes, is being hailed as a hero by his community after saving a disabled neighbor from a fire in his home.
Playa del Carmen hit by smoke from nearby fires
Residents and tourists in Playa del Carmen awoke this morning to find the resort town covered in smoke.
Air quality likely to suffer, as the agricultural burning season starts
Agricultural burning season in Yucatán is set to begin on March 1. Controlled agricultural fires in Yucatán are regulated by the state’s rural development agency and are only allowed between 5:00 PM and 8:00 AM. These types of fires are a common sight in Yucatán during the spring, but sometimes they do rage out of…
Mérida’s Centro filled with smoke from warehouse fire
Authorities evacuated several smoke-filled blocks Tuesday in the heart of the Centro shopping district. A warehouse fire at Comercial Peraza caused not only dense smoke but forced police to close streets for several blocks surrounding calles 58 and 65. Municipal Police led pedestrians away from the area while firefighters arrived quickly, according to multiple local…
Fire in Tulum forces evacuation of 1,000 people
A fire that began around 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Jungle Market clothing store damaged several Tulum businesses and forced around 1,000 people to evacuate their quarters. Firefighters extinguished the flames by 1:30 a.m. but remained at the scene until 3:30. The store was a total loss, but no injuries were reported and the source of…
Fruit juice stand catches fire at Santa Ana market
Santa Ana market was closed after a fruit juice vendor’s stall caught fire, local media reported. Merida’s municipal police said a short circuit caused the fire late Thursday, after the market had closed. Neighboring stalls also appeared damaged, and the entire market was shut down pending an investigation. Smoke was discovered by officers making a…
Lightning strike burns palapa roof in Progreso
Lightning struck a house on the Uaymitún-Telchac Puerto highway in Progreso, causing its palapa roof to catch fire. Friday evening’s intense storm brought driving rain and terrifying thunder and lightning throughout the Peninsula. The fire was reported around 6 p.m. during the downpour when a lightning bolt hit the two-story straw-roofed building owned by Jorge…
Merida wakes up to the smell of a pork processing plant on fire
Merida, Yucatan — The city center was choked Sunday morning by smoke and embers from a factory fire miles away. “No wonder the dog is sneezing,” said one Centro resident after learning that the Kekén pork processing plant in Tixpéual, on the Mérida-Valladolid highway, was on fire. Watery eyes and sore throats were widely reported on…
Air in Yucatan fouled by smoky fires near and far
The haze that settled over Yucatan on Thursday is not necessarily from your neighbor burning trash this time. Winds from the south are bringing smoke from fires as far away as Guatemala and Honduras, said State Civil Protection Coordinator Jesús Enrique Alcocer Basto. The haze has caused eyes to sting, and deprived Yucatan from the…
Fire wrecks food stalls at Lucas de Galvez
Three all-night food stalls were destroyed early Saturday when a gas leak caused a fire at the Lucas de Galvez market.
Fire consumes 500 acres at Celestun Biosphere Reserve
A huge fire is under control at the Celestun Biosphere Reserve
End of content
End of content