Firefighters have been battling two simultaneous wildfires in protected areas of Guanacaste province since Monday, according to the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG), the agency that manages the region’s national parks.

Despite more than 48 hours of firefighting efforts, the blazes remained active at Murciélago Hill in Santa Rosa National Park and at El Hachal Hill in the Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge, park rangers said.

More than 60 people, including firefighters and volunteers, are working on operational and logistical efforts to contain the fire in the Santa Rosa protected area alone, authorities said. Fire units from Cuajiniquil, La Cruz, Las Brisas and Liberia have been deployed.

“They have been working without rest under adverse conditions such as high temperatures and strong winds, which are factors that increase the spread of the fire,” park rangers said in a statement.

Park rangers estimate that about 200 hectares (494 acres) of tropical dry forest have burned in the Santa Rosa area, directly affecting wildlife, natural habitats and water resources.

In the Junquillal Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the burned area is also estimated at 200 hectares. Containment efforts there have required sustained work by eight brigades of firefighters and volunteers, who are facing similarly dry and windy conditions that have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

Both protected areas are part of the country’s tropical dry forest ecosystem, one of the most vulnerable during the dry season. A lack of rainfall combined with increased wind speeds allows even small fires to spread quickly, and forests in the region can take years to recover.

Park rangers said the fires are human-caused, often started by individuals who build campfires in unauthorized areas. Within hours, the fires can spiral out of control and burn hundreds of hectares.

Authorities are urging the public to report anyone suspected of setting campfires or burning vegetation in protected areas by calling 911 or the forest fire hotlines at 2666-5051.

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