A bird perches on a fallen tree in the Palo Verde National Park.

A bird perches on a fallen tree in the Palo Verde National Park. Image by Paul Kehrer / CC BY 2.0

Five hectares of Palo Verde National Park in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province have been devastated by wildfire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it is the sixth wildfire to break out in Costa Rica so far this year and coincides with the launch of a media campaign to raise awareness about wildfires. The risk of such fires increases during the dry season, December to April, and so far this year outbreaks have destroyed a total of 158 hectares. Read more: ticotimes.net