The province of Salta remains in emergency after the fires that devastated more than 200 hectares in Cafayate, in the southwestern part of the province. Prosecutor Sandra Rojas confirmed the arrest of a suspect as part of the investigation seeking to establish criminal responsibilities for one of the most serious environmental disasters recorded in the region.
The case began with a complaint from the Municipality of Cafayate, led by Mayor Rita Guevara, after the fire ravaged native vegetation, protected forests, and dune areas. The magnitude of the damage led the Deliberative Council to declare the State of Environmental Emergency due to Forest Fires, in effect for 18 months.
Judicial Investigation
The Prosecutor’s Office is proceeding with:
- Testimonial statements from neighbors and those responsible for the estate where the fire started.
- Interviews and analysis of information provided by Civil Defense.
- Vehicle movements detected in the area during the early stages of the fire.
The indictment hearing was set for next Monday. If the detainee’s guilt is confirmed, the case could be classified as the crime of disaster, which carries penalties of 3 to 10 years in prison.
Emergency Operation
The fight against the flames involved:
- National Central Brigade.
- Volunteer Firefighters of Cafayate.
- Police Firefighters of Salta.
- Personnel from the National Fire Management Service.
The crews worked with tanker trucks, motor pumps, and turbo-prop water bomber planes with more than 3,000 liters capacity, which made over 23 flights.
In parallel, the General Directorate of Road Safety deployed operations on National Route 68 to prevent accidents due to reduced visibility caused by smoke and dust.
Environmental Impact
The Minister of Security and Justice of Salta, Gaspar Solá Usandivaras, emphasized that the environmental damage is “substantial and extremely important” because the affected forests perform key functions:
- Protection of dunes.
- Regulation of temperature and rainfall.
- Balance of a “very delicate” ecosystem in the region.
The president of the Volunteer Firefighters of Cafayate, Gabriel Domingo, warned that the high temperature of the disaster causes soil sterility and a layer of ash that hinders the return of nutrients. To reforest, it would be necessary to plan an irrigation system, as the scarcest resource in Cafayate is water.
Adverse Weather Conditions
The National Meteorological Service maintains alerts for west sector winds, with speeds exceeding 70 km/h and gusts over 90 km/h. Additionally, no rain is expected in the coming days, complicating the task of the brigades and increasing the risk of new outbreaks.
The arrest of the suspect marks a key step in the investigation, but the environmental impact of the fires in Cafayate will be long-lasting.
The emergency highlights the need to strengthen prevention policies, improve water resource management, and ensure the protection of ecosystems against increasingly frequent and devastating phenomena.
