This weekend, official expert reports confirmed that the fires in Chubut that devastated more than 5500 hectares were started intentionally.
This was revealed by the province’s chief prosecutor, Carlos Díaz Mayer, who reported that fuel was found at the initial focus and described the event as a criminal act.
Currently, the forest fires that broke out on January 5th in the Puerto Patriada area remain active and are causing a devastating environmental impact in Patagonia.
However, according to a report released by the National Government, 22 of the 32 hotspots are already “completely extinguished”.
Now, the judicial investigation remains active after Díaz Mayer confirmed the intentional start of the fires in Chubut.
A complex investigation, without suspects
“It was a person who started the fire at a point between the town of El Hoyo and Puerto Patriada, where our expert found that fuel was used to ignite it,” the official stated in an interview with TN.
The official also described the situation as extreme and highlighted the environmental damage being caused by the flames.
“It’s impressive what’s happening with the fire, it’s ravaging everything. It’s a criminal act. Everything that didn’t burn last year is burning now,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, the judicial investigation faces significant challenges in identifying the responsible parties for the fires in Chubut.
In this regard, the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office noted that no individuals have been identified yet and explained the difficulties in advancing the case.
“I have to start eliminating groups of people who were in the area, both those who live there and those who don’t. In Puerto Patriada, there were approximately 800 vehicles,” the prosecutor detailed about the complications of the investigation.
In the judicial process, a key photograph reinforces the hypothesis that the fires in Chubut were started intentionally: it shows the trunk of the tree where the fire is believed to have originated.
According to ADNSUR, the location was chosen strategically: the focus was about 300 meters inside the forest, away from roads and tourists.
This information completely rules out any accidental hypothesis, such as:
- Poorly extinguished campfires
- Cigarette butts
- Human negligence in public access areas
- Natural or fortuitous causes
It should be noted that the area lacks security cameras or monitoring systems, further complicating the investigation.
Additionally, the advance of the fire destroyed possible traces, making it difficult to identify the perpetrators of the criminal act.
Intentionally started fires in Chubut: calls for harsher penalties
Díaz Mayer also expressed his anger at the recurrence of these criminal acts and called for a review of the current penal sanctions for the intentional start of fires.
“Penalties should be increased so that no one does it again, as a general criminal policy,” the prosecutor concluded.
The official added that it is necessary “to sanction so that society sees that committing such conduct would lead to serving a high prison sentence.”
Governor Ignacio Torres also confirmed that the Justice system has sufficient elements to confirm that the fires were caused intentionally.
Therefore, the Province of Chubut announced that it will act as a plaintiff to ensure that those responsible face the maximum penalties.
“We will go to the fullest extent to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law,” concluded the governor.
