Wildfires burn 15 000 ha (37 000 acres), forcing thousands to evacuate in Argentine Patagonia

Forest fires in Argentine Patagonia have ravaged nearly 15 000 ha (37 000 acres) since Monday, January 5. While rainfall over the weekend has helped, the fires are yet to be brought under control.

The most active fires are located in the Andean sector of Chubut. The main outbreak, near the town of Epuyén in Chubut Province, has already destroyed nearly 12 000 ha (29 600 acres), according to a statement from the Chubut Federation of Volunteer Firefighters (BBVV) issued on Sunday.

At least one person has been injured with serious burns, and he was taken to Bariloche Hospital, according to Governor Ignacio Torres.

This summer has been one of the driest in the decade, according to the BBVV, which had warned citizens earlier this month to avoid lightning fires due to heightened wildfire risk across the province.

A total of 581 people are working on the ground, including firefighters, volunteer firefighters, security forces, volunteers, and support teams. Personnel from Chubut, Neuquén, Río Negro, Córdoba, and the National Fire Management Service are working together to suppress the blazes. 63 firefighters from Córdoba and 15 from the National Service joined the efforts on Sunday.

Two helicopters, 2 water-bomber airplanes, 3 amphibious aircraft, and the Boeing 737 FireLiner provided by the province of Santiago del Estero are also being used for suppression efforts.

Torres said that courts have confirmed that the largest of the blazes, the Puerto Patriada wildfire, was set off deliberately. The provincial government has announced a reward of 50 million Argentine pesos (roughly 34 000 USD ) for information leading to those responsible.

“The wretches who started the fire are going to end up in jail,” Torres said.

Around 3 000 tourists in Puerto Patriada and 15 families in Epuyén had to be evacuated, according to the governor, while more than ten houses were destroyed by the flames and 14 more were damaged in the region, according to earlier media reports.

Fires have also been reported in neighboring Neuquén Province, while those previously burning in Santa Cruz and Río Negro have been contained. The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development continues to coordinate response operations across the affected provinces under a national wildfire emergency.

One ranch and two tourist complexes have also been affected, while eight people remain evacuated from Epuyén as of Sunday.

Epuyén and Cholila remain without power due to damage to the lines. The situation is expected to be resolved in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 50 workers from Public Services and Infrastructure are working to restore services.

Persistent drought and high winds, with smoke reducing visibility and complicating aerial operations and making fire suppression difficult.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has offered assistance to Argentina in containing the active fire fronts near the border region.

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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