THE PANAMA FIRE Department has been called out to douse  380 grass and undergrowth fires in the first five weeks of the year reports TVN News

Most are deliberately set by landowners and farmers to clear overgrown  property but during Carnival, there are often fires started by  campers and picnickers,

The provinces with the highest incidence are:  Coclé (91), Chiriquí (73), Panama Oeste  (60) and Panama Center (59).