The Nahuel Huapi fire continues to be active. Far from giving a break to the natural areas and the firefighters working against the clock, there is growing concern that it will expand even further.
In the last few hours, a Greenpeace specialist warned that without heavy rains, it will be very difficult to control. “It will only stop completely in April,” alerted Hernán Giardini, coordinator of the NGO’s forest campaign.
Nahuel Huapi Fire: How is the situation
Since the end of December, the fire in Los Manzanos, in the Nahuel Huapi National Park in Bariloche, has not subsided. Despite controlling its advance at times, the latest report indicates concern about its spread towards El Manso.
The Emergency Committee, coordinated by the Nahuel Huapi National Park and the Forest Firefighting and Emergency Directorate, reported that 98 firefighters are battling the flames.
Once again, high temperatures and wind hinder the work. In this context, Giardini also pointed out the possibility of an urban fire in Bariloche “is imminent” due to its location surrounded by native forest.
He emphasized the need for specific protocols. “Bariloche should have a plan to know how to act in a major fire on Cerro Otto, where many people live,” he said.
“A dome on Cerro Otto recently caught fire, if it hadn’t been extinguished quickly, the fire could have reached the center and affected numerous homes,” he added.
In this line, the specialist stated that denying climate change is “ridiculous,” as “high temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity create favorable conditions for large fires.”
He stressed that 95% of fires are caused by humans, either due to negligence or intentionality. “Some seek to change land use by removing forests that cannot be legally deforested,” Giardini pointed out.
The alarming situation of the fire in the Nahuel Huapi National Park.
He also highlighted the need for a program to replace pine plantations with native forest, as these exotic species exacerbate the magnitude of fires, as happened in Epuyén, where the fire devastated more than 2000 hectares in 12 hours.
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