SPACE WIRE
Fire spreads in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula
MERIDA, Mexico (AFP) May 13, 2003
 Dense smoke from a fire that has been burning for nine days continued to engulf villages in the southern Mexican state of Yucatan, officials announced Tuesday.

The fire has destroyed 8,000 hectares (19,767 acres) of farm land and low-lying jungle in nine municipalities. Mexican authorities declared a state of emergency Monday.

For the past three weeks Mexico has experienced an intense heat wave, with temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Tonnes of dry branches left behind by Hurricane Isidore last September have contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze, say local authorities.

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