Tolima is bearing the brunt of the wildfire crisis, with 10 active fires reported in the department. Caldas and Huila have reported one active fire each.

Coello mayor Santiago Herrera has appealed to the national government for immediate aerial assistance, saying helicopter support is urgently needed to help firefighters tackle the blazes.

Herrera said high temperatures, strong winds and multiple active fire spots have made it difficult to bring the fires under control. Local firefighting units are also facing logistical constraints.

Three rural areas of Coello currently have six active fire spots, according to the mayor. About 100 rescue and wildfire-response personnel are working alongside local residents to contain the flames.

More than 2,000 hectares of land have been affected by wildfires in Coello, with around 7,000 people impacted, particularly in the rural area of Chaguala.

The wildfires began in early August and are mainly linked to El Nino conditions. Colombian authorities expect the climate phenomenon to continue affecting the country until March 2027.

El Nino is a natural climate pattern marked by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. The phenomenon can contribute to hotter and drier conditions in affected regions.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service said the daily global average sea surface temperature reached 21.1 degrees Celsius on August 22, surpassing the previous record of 21.09 degrees Celsius set in March 2024.