Tojo Ratefason, director of Protected Areas, handed over personal protective equipment to the manager of Ambohitantely Special Reserve. Forests in the West, South and Southwest regions of Madagascar are under threat. These regions risk being struck by El Niño. This phenomenon is characterized by extremely high temperatures and a drastic drop in humidity. "Vegetation there is particularly exposed to fire risks, especially in protected areas that harbor vegetation cover," said Tojo Ratefason, director of Protected Areas at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, yesterday, during a ceremony to distribute fire-fighting protective equipment to field agents of parks managed by Madagascar National Parks. Fires have already begun affecting protected areas. "We are not yet at the peak of fire season. October is when the peak occurs, and fire outbreaks will intensify until the next rains arrive. Regarding the situation in protected areas, fire hotspots have already been reported, but they remain under control for now," our source continued. Partnership Managers of protected areas in the West, South and Southwest regions of Madagascar are already preparing for fires. Eleven Madagascar National Parks sites have received 834 pieces of personal protective equipment. This equipment was obtained through a partnership with the Association Baroudeur Massilia Pompier du Monde and is intended for personnel engaged in fighting forest fires and bush fires. In case of large-scale fires, like the major fires recently observed in Europe, are the available equipment sufficient? The State considered using a Canadair to fight forest fires during the 2025 fire season, but this project was ultimately suspended.