The Guyana Defence Force has deployed a helicopter to assist firefighters battling a large savannah fire near Moblissa Ranch along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
The GDF Air Corps conducted aerial reconnaissance after reports of the fire and identified several active fire pockets across the affected area.
Ground crews from the Guyana Fire Service subsequently began firefighting operations while the GDF deployed a helicopter fitted with specialised aerial firefighting equipment.
The aircrew, led by Lieutenant Colonel Anson Weekes, with Sergeant Clyde Jones operating the firefighting equipment, completed nearly 30 aerial water drops over sections of the fire.
The GDF said the operation reduced the intensity of the blaze and allowed firefighters on the ground to continue efforts to contain it.
Joint aerial assessments and coordinated air-and-ground operations are continuing as authorities attempt to prevent the fire from spreading toward nearby communities and property.
The GDF said resources will continue to be deployed as necessary.
The fire comes as Guyana faces increasingly dry conditions and heightened concerns about water availability and the risk of bush and savannah fires.
Meteorological officials have warned of hotter and drier conditions associated with the prevailing El Niño pattern, with parts of the country facing increased drought risk as the dry season progresses.
Those conditions can rapidly turn grasslands and savannahs into highly combustible areas, increasing the threat to farms, ranches, roadways and nearby communities.
The Soesdyke-Linden corridor contains extensive stretches of savannah and woodland and is an important transportation route linking the capital to Linden and communities in Guyana’s interior.
The deployment of an aerial firefighting capability is significant because fires in remote or difficult-to-access terrain can be challenging for ground crews to reach quickly.
The GDF said the aerial operation has already helped reduce the intensity of the fire, but the emergency is not yet over.
Ground and aerial teams remain engaged in efforts to contain the remaining fire pockets and prevent the blaze from spreading.
Authorities have not indicated the cause of the fire or reported any injuries.
The incident nevertheless underscores the growing pressure posed by dry conditions and the importance of early detection, rapid response and coordinated firefighting operations as Guyana moves through the drier period.
