Villa de Leyva wildfire 75% controlled, minister says

Firefighters in Colombia had brought 75 percent of a wildfire threatening Villa de Leyva under control, Interior Minister Rodrigo Lara said Monday, after flames forced evacuations near the colonial tourist town.

Lara said a few hotspots remained and were being fought. Regional authorities said the fire had burned almost 340 hectares of land.

The fire began Saturday in a forest and moved across a hill towards Villa de Leyva, about three hours north of Bogota. Helicopters were deployed to fight the flames. Two hotels on the slopes were evacuated, and the governor's office said Monday that 76 people had been evacuated because of the fire.

Boyaca Governor Carlos Amaya earlier told Caracol Radio that crews had contained hotspots near houses overnight.

Villa de Leyva is known for colonial architecture and cobblestone streets and draws almost a million visitors a year.

Colombia is facing drier-than-usual conditions linked to El Nino and was battling 17 active wildfires, according to the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management. Thirteen wildfires were also burning in neighbouring Ecuador, mostly in the north.

El Nino raises surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and can bring warmer conditions that result in more droughts and flooding.