Forest fires have destroyed more than 17,000 hectares (42,008) in Colombia since November, authorities said, as the country faces its hottest January in decades.
More than 340 fires were recorded during that period, caused by a prolonged drought, record heat and the El Niño climate phenomenon, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said on Friday, adding that 26 fires were still burning.
One of the fires burns about 900 meters (2,953) from the El Paraíso neighborhood, east of Bogotá.
Some residents affected by the smoke were being treated, the Colombian Red Cross in Bogotá wrote on the social media platform X, along with photos of emergency workers helping a man wearing a mask.
President Gustavo Petro declared a natural disaster this week, allowing funds to be diverted from other budget items to contain the fires, and called for international help.
Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport returned to operating normally on Friday after the previous day's restrictions affected 138 flights.
This month is shaping up to be the hottest January in 30 years, according to Ghisliane Echeverry, director of Colombia's Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies.
Echeverry warned that temperatures could increase in February and only in March will the rains help to “mitigate” the consequences of extreme heat.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating whether some of the fires are set by arsonists and police have arrested 26 people for “fire-related offences.”
