Over 500  hectares of the Chorcha plateau, a site favored by tourists in Chiriqui have been destroyed by a fire that started On March 19.

Firefighters were called in early on Saturday after failed attempts  by local ranchers to stop the flames spreading.

 On Sunday firefighters backed Civil Defense (Sinaproc ) National Aeronaval Service and the National Border Service personnel continued to battle the outbreak in the favored tourist destination in Chiriqui province.

Rafael Rodríguez, the owner of one of the affected farms, said i that the fire started on March 19 due to a lightning strike in a grassland area and producers and ranchers of the region tried unsuccessfully.to smother the flames.

"We await expect the extinction of the fire to determine the damage in its entirety, we do not know if there are dead cattle or if they went to safe areas.," said  Rodríguez said.