The forest fires in Chubut, Río Negro and Neuquén they already burned more than 10,000 hectares of forests, grasslands and plantations of the Patagonia during this summera surface area equivalent to that of half City of Buenos Aires. They also warn that the climate crisis, droughtthe wind and the exotic pines helped its expansion.
Organizations they demand more prevention, brigade members and infrastructurein addition to the consequent penalization of the causes, especially when it is revealed that a fire was started intentionally.
According to official reports, since December the forest fires have advanced over 5,108 hectares in the Nahuel Huapi National Park (Río Negro), 3,075 hectares in Epuyén (Chubut), 2,000 hectares in Dr. Atilio Viglione (Chubut) and 450 hectares nearly Caviahue (Neuquén).
Likewise, a Greenpeace report estimated that the area affected by forest fires in the Andean Patagonian Forests region of Argentina during the period October 2023 – March 2024 was from 7,747 hectares, 90% in the province of Chubut.
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This summer the fires have already devastated more than 10,000 hectares of forests, grasslands and plantations:
5,108 ha in the Nahuel Huapi National Park (Río Negro), 3,075 ha in Epuyén and 2,000 ha in Dr. Atilio Viglione (Chubut), and 450 ha near Caviahue (Neuquén). pic.twitter.com/QroJs0mnFG
— Hernán Giardini (@hernangiardini) January 22, 2025
It is estimated that the 95% of forest fires are caused by human actions whether due to intentionality, negligence or accidents: bonfires, barbecues and poorly extinguished cigarette butts, the preparation of grazing areas with fire and the burning of forest residues.
The organizations’ claim
Hernan Giardinicoordinator of the Bosques campaign, expressed: “If we do not act, situations like these will continue to repeat themselves. The climate crisis requires preparation. At both the provincial and national levels, more prevention, brigade members and infrastructure are needed to provide a quick response to outbreaks that later become uncontrollable.. “Wind, drought and exotic pines increase the risks.”
“Argentina is in forest emergency. Fires in the south are increasing and half of the clearings in the north They are illegal. The destruction of native forests must be urgently prohibited and penalized,” said Giardini.
Finally, the head of the environmental organization called on citizens to “claim on the page so that they are established prison sentences for those responsible of forest fires and illegal clearings”.
Ignacio Torres confirmed that the fires in Epuyén were intentional
Ignacio Torresgovernor of the province of Chubutannounced this Tuesday that the fires that affect the town of Epuyén were intentionalafter confirming the results of the tests.
The provincial leader commented that “glass and other combustible elements were found”something that ended up coinciding with his main theory, given the versions that indicated that the origin of the fire occurred as a result of a domestic accident.
Along these lines, he stressed that “According to the expert reports, the fire was the product of violence carried out by regular criminals”in reference to the supposed members of the Mapuche community.
And he added: “We met with representatives of the Mapuches and the Tehuelches. They recognize the Argentine State, the Chantas do not.”
“This is a fight that we have been fighting since the previous government was in office. The Kirchnerists said that it was a habitat problem, which generated the escalation of violence. The takeovers took place in the Buenos Aires suburbs, in fact, the telephone numbers of those were here (in Chubut) they had the prefix 11”, in dialogue with LN+.
Source: Ambito