Causes and Consequences
Wildfires occur as a result of three components which form the ‘fire triangle’. These components are: heat source, fuel and oxygen. The
heat source refers to the original source which triggers the wildfire, which can be natural events, such as lightning, sun and volcanic activity, or human events, such as matches, bonfires, arson, or cigarettes.
Fuel refers to the material the heat source uses to spread; these can be natural fuels such as pine needles, leaves, twigs, and evergreen vegetation with flammable oils, or manmade fuels such as litter and waste. The fire then requires
oxygen for the fuels to burn; strong wind conditions can increase the severity of the fire. During the hot summer months, extended periods of drought and the accumulation of dried fuel, along with lightning storms and strong winds greatly increase the threat of natural wildfires.
The impacts of wildfires include damaged infrastructure, loss of power, atmospheric air pollution, polluted water supply and increased strain on emergency services. Longer term challenges include transport disruption, flash flooding and mudflows.
Tips and Advice
Before
Before traveling it is important to be aware of the potential wildfire risk in your destination and ensure appropriate mitigation is in place.
Global Forest Watch Fires is an interactive tool based on NASA satellite data, which provides analysis on historical wildfire data and provides wildfire proximity alerts.
If wildfires are active in your destination or area of travel, it is advised that you consult local media and familiarize yourself with any evacuation routes and procedures provided by the local authorities.
Measures can be taken to prevent accidental wildfires in high-risk areas. Conduct safe practices, such as not discarding cigarette ends or flammable objects and liquids in areas with high-fuel potential, and do not start uncontrolled bonfires or barbecues in these areas. Have a fire extinguisher or a water supply readily available to prevent any flame or spark from spreading.
If you are planning to travel through high-risk zones, it is recommended that you have a reliable method of communication to contact the emergency services in the event of a wildfire. A mobile phone should be charged and if possible take a battery powered radio. It is also recommended that travelers are prepared with supplies such as a first aid kit, flashlight, non-perishable food items, bottled water and blankets.
Travelers residing in a hotel should familiarize themselves with emergency procedures and evacuation routes. If you are staying in a property or location which is in a wildfire-risk zone, ensure that there are no combustible materials exposed along the boundaries of the structure, and remove any debris from the roof. Also ensure that vegetation and grass is short and not obstructing power lines, creating a fire-resistant zone. Practice fire safety prevention measures inside the property in order to mitigate potential risk.
During
In the event of a wildfire breaking out, the traveler should attempt to contact emergency services. Even where an immediate rescue is not available, contacting the relevant authorities and providing your location can facilitate ongoing rescue efforts. Heed any advice on recommended actions and potential evacuation routes or safe zones given by emergency teams and local authorities.
Avoid high-fuel areas, hot ash, charred trees and foliage, smoldering debris and live embers in order to avoid any exposure to flames and burn hazards. Do not try to outrun the fire; if possible look for a body of water, such as a pond or stream, dampen clothing and stay low. If there is no body of water, try to find an area cleared of vegetation, dampen clothes if possible and stay low. To minimize the risk of smoke and chemical inhalation, use a dust mask or a damp cloth to cover your mouth and nose; stay close to the ground and breathe the air closest to the ground.
If you are in a vehicle close all windows and any vents. Drive slowly and keep headlights on to improve visibility, and look for a vegetation-free area to park in if possible. Lie as low as possible in the vehicle covered with a blanket until the threat has decreased or evacuation is possible.
If located in a hotel or property, close all windows and doors, but keep them unlocked to allow for quick exit. Shut off gas supply and turn off electrical outlets. Designate a room for shelter with no flammable materials inside, and keep lights on in case of reduced visibility. It is also recommended to fill any pools, bathtubs or other large containers with water.
After
Be aware of the associated environmental risks such as flash flooding and mudflows. Monitor local media and be aware of local travel updates and advice to minimize exposure to these threats. Follow any directive given emergency services regarding potential evacuation and future actions.
Upon returning to a residence or accommodation, use extra caution and vigilance and check for any burn impacts, embers or sparks both internally and externally. Use any water supply to extinguish any hot spots. Do not drink tap water until receiving confirmation from authorities. Contact the emergency services if any further risk or danger is perceived.
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Narrative on Deaths and Potential Causes
While each tourist death has made headlines in many of the major dailies in the US, particular attention has been given to cases (both fatal and non-fatal) where victims reportedly drank from hotel room minibars or reported a suspicious smell shortly before becoming ill. These circumstances have raised the specter of methanol poisoning in the former instance and airborne organophosphate poisoning from pesticides in the latter. The constellation of symptoms reported by many of the victims – again, both in fatal and non-fatal cases – also at times correlate to such scenarios as do certain causes of death, where applicable.
Government officials have so far made only autopsy results public while toxicology analyses are ongoing, with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials also being involved in certain cases. Officials have stressed that many of the deceased had pre-existing health conditions or else were found to be travelling with medications, while others appear to have died from causes (e.g. a heart attack) completely unrelated to any sort of chemical poisoning. The US government, including the Embassy in Santo Domingo, has been generally supportive of the Dominican government’s position insofar as advising against a rush to judgment before toxicology reports and other details are known in all relevant cases, though it has clearly been monitoring the situation with a close eye.
Both the methanol and organophosphate poisoning scenarios are to a certain degree plausible in terms of existing precedent. However, it is difficult to accept that leadership at high-end hotel chains such as Hard Rock and Grand Bahia Principe – where some of the deaths have occurred – would even entertain the idea of methanol-adulterated liquor in guest room minibars given the almost guaranteed severe health risks and subsequent reputational consequences that poisoning incidents would bring; indeed, Hard Rock has since removed minibars completely from its Punta Cana location in response to the cases. Yet there is some precedent for bootleg liquor being used at beach resorts, though these cases have primarily taken place in Mexico and generally involved mental blackouts and memory loss as opposed to the more violent kinds of symptoms recounted by tourists in the Dominican Republic.
The organophosphate poisoning explanation for other of the tourist deaths and illnesses is somewhat easier to comprehend, as such a scenario can occur not only through ill intent but also carelessness if certain pesticides are sprayed too closely to an air conditioning unit. Certainly, however, in no scenario is it in the best interest of the hotels to compromise the health security of their own guests, and the severity of the US news coverage and consequent tourist cancellations have likely driven said hotels to explore all leads in addressing any security gaps and cooperating with authorities. The Dominican government has furthermore announced more stringent quality control measures for food and beverages at locations catering to tourists.
PR Crisis despite Favorable Safety Statistics
Through all this, the Dominican government has stressed that the country remains a relatively safe destination for US (and other) travelers. The data largely bear this out, as the general trend indicates that more Americans are visiting the country each year, yet fewer and fewer unnatural deaths have been occurring since 2015; last year, some 13 deaths of US citizens in the country were classified as “unnatural”. The leading causes of deaths in such instances both last year and more generally are auto accidents or drownings. Yet the defensiveness and opacity of officials has somewhat worked against them, as the government has been viewed as slow to respond and unwilling to take this year’s fatalities more seriously until the media narrative was already well established. And, whether the toxicology reports shed more light on the fatalities in question or not, the novel circumstances surrounding these cases are in large part what has continued to generate headlines as opposed to more “typical” deaths from drownings or auto accidents.
Thus, the government appears to have been a victim of its own complacency in terms of the overall optics of the situation even if the reports ultimately do indicate that most, if not all of the deaths were not a result of poisoning. Such complacency is somewhat understandable given the high reliability of US tourists in the DR – 2.2 million of the 6.5 million tourists last year alone – but nevertheless not without consequences, as US travelers slowed flight bookings significantly at the height of the PR crisis. Given that tourism makes up an estimated 17 percent of the country’s GDP, the nascent recovery in bookings has likely allayed the most severe of scenarios as envisioned by government officials. However, a perceived lack of transparency as well as any future deaths under similar circumstances could again start a downward trend, as could toxicology reports suggesting poisoning in any of the well-publicized cases. Barring any of these variables, the passage of time will assist the tourism sector greatly, but the negative publicity surrounding the country will likely take at least a year’s time to shake off.
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