Farmer Salomon Castro Gutierrez, 61, stands in front of a flowering gorse (Ulex europaeus) plant in Tausa, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia on October 9, 2026. The thorny gorse shrub (Ulex europaeus), introduced to Colombia from Europe in the mid-20th century, has spread from Bogota into Andean ecosystems and high-altitude paramos, unique tropical mountain wetlands known for their water-storage capacity. Highly flammable, the invasive plant fuels wildfires that have been exacerbated by the current El Niño climate phenomenon, described by meteorological agencies as one of the strongest on record. (Photo by Pablo VERA / AFP via Getty Images)