Cuenca's Cajas Park Rangers Finally Got Real Firefighting Equipment — $215,000 Worth

Here's something that should have happened years ago but is still worth celebrating: the people who protect Cuenca's most important natural resource just got the tools to actually do their job safely.

ETAPA EP delivered over 700 pieces of personal protective equipment and specialized tools to its Forest Brigade — the 35 park rangers who patrol the páramos, cloud forests, and watershed zones that supply Cuenca's drinking water.

The investment: $215,000. The context: priceless.

What They Got

The equipment delivery includes:

• Firefighting helmets — certified to international safety standards
• Fire-resistant combat suits — for direct wildfire engagement
• Forestry boots — designed for rough páramo terrain
• Fire attack backpacks — portable water systems for rapid response
• Batefuegos (fire swatters) — the most basic but essential wildfire tool
• Chainsaws — for creating firebreaks
• Portable motor pumps — for accessing water from streams and rivers in remote areas

According to ETAPA, this is the first time the Forest Brigade has received a complete kit of personal protective equipment. Previous years, rangers fought fires in whatever gear was available.

Why This Story Matters

In 2024, wildfires burned over 11,000 hectares across the Azuay region. That included 2,000 hectares inside Parque Nacional Cajas — the protected area that serves as the primary source of Cuenca's water supply.

During those fires, ETAPA's rangers were on the front lines. Some of them fought fires in basic work clothes because the agency didn't have enough protective equipment to go around. Nobody died, but the risk was real.

The páramo above Cuenca isn't just pretty hiking territory. It's a natural water treatment system. The spongy grasslands absorb rainfall and release it slowly into the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Machángara, and Tarqui rivers. When the páramo burns, that system breaks down — and Cuenca's water supply suffers in quality and quantity.

The 35 Rangers

Let that number sink in: 35 people are responsible for protecting the entire network of páramos and watersheds that serve a metropolitan area of roughly 600,000 people.

They work in remote, high-altitude terrain (3,500–4,000+ meters), often in fog, rain, and freezing temperatures. During fire season, they work extended shifts in dangerous conditions. And until now, many of them did it without proper safety equipment.

$215,000 is not a huge sum for a city government. It's roughly what Cuenca spent on sound systems for two Carnival concerts. But for these 35 rangers, it's the difference between risking their lives with improvised gear and having the actual tools of the trade.

What Expats Should Know

If you hike Cajas, you've benefited from these rangers' work. The trails are maintained, fires are monitored, and illegal encroachment is reported because of this small team.

If you drink tap water in Cuenca, you depend on the páramos they protect. Full stop.

If you care about property values, know that Cuenca's green infrastructure and clean water are selling points that drive real estate demand. Protecting the source of that water is protecting your investment.

ETAPA also just certified 350 community forest brigaders as volunteer first responders — we've got a separate article on that here. Between the professional rangers getting real equipment and the volunteer network expanding, Cuenca's watershed protection is in better shape than it's been in years.

It shouldn't have taken a catastrophic fire season to make it happen. But better late than never.

Sources: ETAPA EP, Metro Ecuador