A group of 40 Costa Rican firefighters was already at the border with Nicaragua this Monday morning ready to help the neighbor country to control the forest fire that has been affecting the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve for several days which has reportedly destroyed over 7,000 hectares of protected land, however, they were sent back after being informed that President Daniel Ortega had decided to use more of their own resources and therefore their help was no longer needed.

The Vice-President of the government Luis Cañas, thanked Costa Rica for the offering and through a press release explained that the Nicaraguan army had incorporated more personnel to control the fire.

The team sent by Costa Rica had personnel specially trained in the control of forest fires, and included 10 firefighter 4 x 4 trucks for use in forest fires as well as pumps, drones and a special radio communication systems.

Indio Maiz Reserve is the second most important biological reserve in Nicaragua and it´s located just 22 kilometers from the Costa Rica – Nicaragua border, smoke has affected communities in Costa Rica such as Los Chiles, Pavon and La Vega, in the northern province of Alajuela .

Nicaragua received and allowed help today from Mexico, country that sent a helicopter with capacity for 450 gallons of water.