Ecuador declares national emergency as wildfires, drought intensify

FILE PHOTO: A cloud of smoke and ash is seen covering Quito, as the city has five active fires in its surroundings, Ecuador September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Karen Toro/File Photo

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's government declared a 60-day national emergency due to raging forest fires made worse by severe drought conditions, the country's risk management secretariat announced in a statement on Monday.

(Reporting by Alejandra Valencia, Writing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez)