Hundreds of firefighters are continuing to battle wildfires that have already devastated more than 60,000 hectares in Patagonia this southern summer, according to official figures.
Rainfall aided their efforts at the start of the week after several days of strong winds and high temperatures.
The main fire fronts are located in the southern province of Chubut and, although some are partially under control, more than 500 people – including firefighters, specialist crews and volunteers from various provinces – continue working to extinguish the fires, the Provincial Fire Management Service (SPMF) reported.
“Leaving the house is heartbreaking, because you go out and you don’t know if you’ll come back,” said Federico Ayllapan, a firefighter from Chubut.
Ayllapan fought alongside other firefighters and local residents to contain a fire that broke out on Sunday between the Chubut towns of Cholila and Epuyén, fuelled by strong winds and high temperatures.
After nearly 24 hours of work using hoses, chainsaws and fire engines, the crews managed to bring the fire under control on Monday and then welcomed the first rainfall with relief.
To support the firefighters’ efforts, many local residents have organised themselves into community brigades to protect native forests.
“You find yourself with a group of people who are all on the same wavelength, defending what is ours, looking after the forest and caring for the community,” said volunteer firefighter Cristian González..
In Los Alerces National Park – an Andean forest in Chubut known for its glacial lakes – the fire remains out of control and has already affected more than 30,000 hectares, according to figures from the National Parks Administration and the SPMF.
Last week, President Javier Milei’s government declared a “fire emergency” in four Patagonian provinces: Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén and La Pampa.
The national government also announced funding of 100 billion pesos (around US$70 million) for volunteer firefighters across the country.
However, the Chubut Federation of Volunteer Firefighters clarified that these funds do not constitute extraordinary assistance, but rather resources already owed by the national government to local fire stations.
– TIMES/AFP
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