- Two major fires broke out in early January in Argentina’s southern Chubut province, threatening parts of Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The fires have destroyed at least 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres) of forest and grassland in and around the park, home to the alerce tree (Fitzroya cupressoides), a cypress that can live for more than 3,600 years.
- Critics pointed to recent budget cuts and staff shortages for environmental programs, which make it difficult to both prevent fires and put them out when they start.
Fires have surged through the forests of Argentina’s Patagonia region since the start of the year, with officials still working to contain damage to some of the world’s oldest ecosystems.
The two major fires broke out in January in the southern province of Chubut, threatening parts of Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to trees thousands of years old. For many, the fires are another reminder of the significant budget cuts to the country’s environmental services.
“We demand that the national government and the provinces provide more prevention, firefighters and infrastructure to respond quickly to fires, and penalize the destruction of forests,” Greenpeace Argentina said in a statement.
Los Alerces National Park spans more than 259,000 hectares (642,000 acres) and is home to endemic species like the monito del monte (Dromiciops gliroides), a marsupial, and the Magellanic woodpecker (Campephilus magellanicus). Most notably, it contains the alerce tree (Fitzroya cupressoides), a cypress that can live for more than 3,600 years.
On Jan. 5, a fire broke out in the southern part of the park between the Rivadavia, Futalaufquen and Menéndez lakes, according to NASA satellite readings. Another fire broke out on hillsides in the north.
It remains unclear how or why the fires began, but the prosecutor’s office reportedly confirmed one of them was set intentionally.
Early estimates said around 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) of forest and grassland were destroyed, with later estimates as high as 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres). Chubut Secretary of Forests Abel Nievas called it the “worst environmental tragedy in 20 years.”
Around 3,000 residents and tourists had to be evacuated.
The heavy smoke and fire reportedly spread out of the park and came dangerously close to National Route 40, a major highway in the province, forcing road closures and traffic delays.
Fire season in Patagonia usually starts in March, but rising temperatures have become more common in the earlier months of the year, experts told Mongabay, largely the result of greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion. Severe heat waves during warmer seasons can see temperature anomalies of as high as 12° Celsius (21.6° Fahrenheit).
A social media post from park officials said high temperatures, low humidity and “constant wind” would continue to be risk factors in the park.
The fires have not yet been completely extinguished.
Budget cuts and staff shortages
Last year, nearly 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) of forest were destroyed in Patagonia, an increase of nearly 300% from the previous year. While some of that had to do with dry conditions exacerbated by climate change, environmental groups have also noted the significant lack of resources caused by budget cuts, making it difficult to carry out standard fire prevention and containment.
“Generally, at the political level, fire begins to be a topic of conversation when there is already a declared fire and when it has reached such magnitude that it has become a public issue,” Manuel Jaramillo, director of the Wildlife Foundation of Argentina, told Mongabay in an interview earlier this month. “At the technical level, within government structures, there is a lot of preparation, a lot of concern to be able to improve coordination.”
President Javier Milei, who took office in 2023, has denied the existence of climate change and made aggressive moves to cut funding for the environment during his tenure. Under his watch, the Ministry of Environment was relegated to an undersecretariat within the Secretary of Tourism, Environment and Sports.
Between 2023 and 2024, the undersecretariat’s budget shrank by 79.4%, according to a financial analysis from the Foundation for Environment and Natural Resources (FARN). The National Fire Management Service also lost 81% of its budget, while the National Fund for the Enrichment and Conservation of Native Forests had no spending for the year.
This year, the National Parks Administration only has 400 firefighters, when the minimum should be 700, Greenpeace reported. The firefighters are tasked with covering around 5 million hectares (12.3 million acres) of land.
“Reducing funds allocated to environmental protection translates into concrete and devastating damage to both ecosystems and people,” FARN said in its analysis. “Furthermore, it generates even greater long-term costs.”
As the climate crisis worsens and extreme weather becomes more common, experts said the budget should be higher, not lower. The fires in Patagonia require prevention measures, more firefighters and waterbomber aircrafts, said Hernán Giardini, coordinator of Greenpeace’s forests campaign.
He said there also needs to be coordination between the national and provincial governments to ensure fast response times the next time there are multiple outbreaks.
“The climate crisis demands preparation for an increase in fires, and political leaders must stop denying or underestimating this situation,” he said.
Banner image: Firefighters stand on a truck as wildfires blaze in El Hoyo, Patagonia, Argentina. (AP Photo/Maxi Jonas)
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