In the face of the devastating fires that have already ravaged more than 230,000 hectares in the south of the country, the six Patagonian governors demanded that the Congress approve a law to declare a Fire Emergency in Argentina.
The request, made after a virtual summit, comes from the leaders of the Patagonia provinces:
- Ignacio Torres (Chubut);
- Sergio Ziliotto (La Pampa);
- Alberto Weretilneck (Río Negro);
- Rolando Figueroa (Neuquén);
- Claudio Vidal (Santa Cruz), and;
- Gustavo Melella (Tierra del Fuego).
In the meeting, they emphasized the severity of the situation and agreed to join forces to fight the fire that is advancing uncontrollably in different provinces of the Argentine south.
With La Pampa and Chubut as the main affected areas, the Patagonian governors now request to address in the extraordinary sessions that will begin next week in Congress a project of Fire Emergency Law.
In contrast, while this proposal was not included by the Executive in the agenda presented to the legislators, the Government does plan to address a modification to the Glacier Law.
This project, presented and publicly defended by President Javier Milei, could facilitate the exploitation of hydrocarbons in periglacial areas.
More than 230 thousand hectares consumed by fire
Official figures of the fires revealed a critical panorama throughout the Patagonian region. In recent months, La Pampa recorded more than 168,000 hectares burned, while Chubut added 45,000 hectares affected.
Meanwhile, Río Negro accounted for 10,000 hectares, Neuquén 6,000, and Santa Cruz 700 hectares devastated by the flames.
The total land and destroyed biomass exceeds 230,000 hectares, representing an environmental and productive impact with few precedents in the history of the southern region.
The governors attributed this fire crisis to an extremely adverse climatic scenario, coupled with the severest drought recorded since 1965 in the area.
An urgent request for exceptional tools
“Together with the Patagonian governors, we request the National Congress to urgently declare a National Fire Emergency, promoted by our legislators,” Torres expressed after the meeting.
The Chubut leader highlighted that the magnitude of the events “demands exceptional tools.”
He then cited Chile and the United States as examples, countries that have taken measures to address fires of this type.
“Argentina needs to activate mechanisms that allow adding capacities and coordinating efforts among all provinces and the National State, prioritizing the most important thing: safeguarding the lives of Argentines,” he stated.
Torres emphasized that Patagonia “is not an isolated territory” and noted that fire “recognizes no boundaries nor distinguishes between political parties, races, or religions.”
For this reason, he asked “all the Congress blocs to support this project with the urgency that the moment demands.”
Fires in Patagonia: scarce resources and million-dollar costs
On the other hand, the Patagonian governors highlighted the coordinated work with the national government through the National Fire Management System and thanked the presence of the Interior Minister, Diego Santilli.
“If to date the fires have not claimed any lives, it is because from the largest aircraft provided by Santiago del Estero to the neighbor who loaded a totem onto his truck bed and helped save dozens of homes, we are all working,” Torres stated.
However, the governor warned that “the resources are scarce” and detailed: “Between Río Negro and Chubut in air resources and fuels we are executing more than $7 billion.”
What the declaration of Fire Emergency would allow in Argentina
The approval of a Fire Emergency law would bring concrete benefits to address the crisis:
- Speed up the incorporation of air resources and specialized equipment
- Strengthen the coordination between the Nation and affected provinces
- Provide direct assistance to affected populations
- Plan a comprehensive response to the fires and their consequences
“We need to have a legislative tool that puts all available resources, without bureaucracy, for the containment of the fires,” Torres proposed.
The leader anticipated the submission to Congress of the bill and requested that it be addressed “as quickly as possible.”
Political support for Patagonian governors and critical situation in Cholila
From the PRO and the Radical Civic Union (UCR) expressed their support for the request of the Patagonian governors, warning that the situation “is serious, affects thousands of Argentines, and requires urgent decisions.”
In Chubut, more than 500 brigade members and a dozen air resources were deployed this Tuesday to combat the fire.
Attention was focused on the locality of Cholila, which was surrounded by two main hotspots and whose inhabitants prepared for a possible evacuation.
The complex fire situation began on January 5 in the northern area of Los Alerces National Park, but the strong winds, high temperatures, and extreme drought caused the reactivation of multiple fire hotspots.
