While most forest fires have their origin in human action (whether due to negligence, accident, or intention), it is estimated that with climate change, they will become more frequent.
In that sense, there is only one solution that appears hopeful: working on prevention.
There are ways to promote integrated behavior in fire management through education and awareness. It is not just a forest problem.
### Forest fires: the only effective solution
The dramatic forest fires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area, destroying entire communities and causing billions of dollars in damage.
Another dramatic scenario is unfolding in the Argentine Patagonia, where there are still active fires and about 13,000 hectares of forest have already been consumed.
This only reveals why countries must invest more in stopping these devastating flames before they start.
### Why wildfires will increase
These forest fires are rapidly increasing in intensity, frequency, and duration due to the climate crisis and changes in land use, according to Amy Duchelle from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
“Forest fires basically require three ingredients – a source of fuel, warm and dry weather, and an ignition source,” she explained.
“The situation in Los Angeles presented these three elements severely, including strong winds that caused the fires to continue burning out of control,” she detailed about the scenario in [California](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/los-angeles-en-llamas-las-10-imagenes-mas-impactantes-de-los-incendios-en-california/), United States.
“I believe, and many are saying, that we are in a new era in terms of wildfires caused by climate change, catastrophic wildfires, so the approach to addressing these forest fires has to be different,” she pointed out in dialogue with *Econews*.
### Focus on prevention
In that line, she suggested a change of focus for the future. “Historically, much attention has been paid to extinguishing fires, but much more investment is needed in prevention, that is, addressing the forest fire problem even before they start burning,” Duchelle emphasized.
“Many countries have implemented many of these aspects, but much more work needs to be done,” she added.
In that line, she mentioned that the FAO has a long program promoting integrated fire management.
“And we are trying to do exactly what I said before: support countries to increase their capacity for integrated fire management, focusing much more on prevention than on mere extinction and response,” she added.
### The fire has already consumed about 13,000 hectares in Patagonia
These statements come at a time when the world is experiencing these fierce fires firsthand. In the Argentine Patagonia, the fire has already destroyed 13,000 hectares of forest, shrubland, and grasslands.
These territories cover the areas of Epuyén and Atilio Viglione in Chubut province, and the Nahuel Huapi National Park in RÃo Negro and Neuquén.
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