Several wildfires had burned at least 45,000 hectares of forest in Chubut Province, as of Thursday, as hundreds of firefighters in Patagonia continued to battle flames and prevent them reaching populated areas.
A brief respite brought by light rainfall earlier this week has improved conditions, but experts say the risk of further flare-ups remain.
Chubut’s Los Alerces National Park, an Andean forest known for its glacial lakes, has been the worst affected, with 20,000 hectares burned, according to the latest official report from the provincial government.
Some rainfall has been recorded in recent days, which has allowed “firefighters to work better, with slightly colder conditions.” That’s still not been enough to extinguish the fires outright, however, said Ignacio Cabello, the deputy head of the Agencia Federal de Emergencias, told local radio station FM El Chubut on Thursday.
Around 450 firefighters are deployed in the area, supported by 19 aircraft, Cabello revealed.
Pressure has been building on President Javier Milei’s government given budget cutbacks, with several provincial governors from the region calling on the head of state to declare an emergency and release fresh funding.
In response, on Tuesday the government allocated around US$87 million to various volunteer fire brigades.
One of the main tasks under way is the creation of firebreaks to prevent the flames from reaching inhabited areas.
“Today the weather conditions helped … to bring this part under control, above all,” Manuel, a volunteer firefighter from Cholila, told the AFP news agency.
The town in Chubut, home to about 2,800 people, has been surrounded by fire.
“In a few days, when the warmer weather returns, the fire will start to flare up again, but all within the burned area. What we are making sure of is that the blaze does not continue to spread,” added the firefighter, who declined to give his surname.
The fire started after a lightning strike on December 9 within the boundaries of the national park, say authorities, but in recent weeks it has grown out of control and is now approaching Cholila from the north.
“I’ve been with the fire service for 15 years and this is the first time I’ve seen a fire burn like this. … We’re all working flat out and we’re overstretched,” Manuel said.
Argentina’s National Fire Management Service (SNMF) has issued a red alert for extreme fire danger in the region until Friday, with high temperatures and strong winds forecast to continue.
The other major wildfire affecting the province covers almost 22,300 hectares between the area of Puerto Patriada and the town of Epuyén, although the SNMF reports that it is “85 percent contained.”
The situation is affecting, to varying degrees, other Patagonian provinces, including Río Negro, Neuquén, La Pampa and Santa Cruz.
Several Patagonian governors have asked Congress to declare a state of “fire emergency” to increase firefighting capacity.
– TIMES/AFP
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