The forest fires in Patagonia devastated approximately 32,000 hectares of native forests. This is four times the affected area compared to the previous season.
This was reported by Greenpeace Argentina, who described it as the worst season in the last three decades in the region.
Through the analysis of satellite images, it was determined that the area affected by the fires in the Andean Patagonian Forests reached 31,722 hectares.
These areas are distributed among the provinces of Neuquén (11,782 ha), Río Negro (10,218 ha), and Chubut (9,722 ha). These figures represent a significant increase compared to the 7,747 hectares burned between October 2023 and March 2024.
Forest Fires: Critical Areas and Affected Communities
The report highlights the severity of the fires occurring in protected areas of high ecological value such as Lanín National Park, Nahuel Huapi National Park, and Los Alerces National Park.
Forest fire in Epuyén. (Photo: Matías Garay- Greenpeace).
It also highlights the impacts on populated areas such as Mallín Ahogado (Río Negro) and Epuyén (Chubut), where the fire affected numerous homes.
“95% of forest fires are caused by human activities and worsen during drought periods, making it essential to increase prevention efforts and significantly enhance firefighting teams and infrastructure, both at a provincial and national level,” warned Hernán Giardini, coordinator of Greenpeace’s Forest campaign.
Giardini also emphasized the need to remove exotic species like pines. “They increase the risk of fires and hinder the recovery of burned forests,” he explained. “Governments must stop underestimating or denying the climate crisis, and act accordingly,” he added.
Native Forests in Danger
The Andean Patagonian Forests are one of the best-preserved biomes in Argentina, with approximately 3 million hectares of temperate forests with minimal human intervention.
However, forest fires have become the main threat to their conservation, displacing even agricultural activities, which are the leading cause of deforestation in other regions of the country.
Between 2001 and 2023, the cumulative loss of Andean Patagonian Forests was 115,140 hectares, with 56% of them in the province of Chubut, mainly due to fires, according to official data.
Greenpeace stressed that these forest fires not only affect biodiversity but also worsen the climate and ecological emergency.
“Continuing with the destruction of our forests implies more climate change, species extinction, floods, desertification, displacement of peasant and indigenous communities, diseases, and loss of food, wood, and medicines,” explained Giardini.
“It is clear that fines are not sufficient to discourage both forest fires and deforestation, so those responsible must be penalized,” he added.
The Recurrent Crisis of Forest Fires in Argentina
Fires in Lanín National Park. (Photo: Federico Soto- Greenpeace).
Each year, forest fires become more common news in Argentina, especially during periods of high temperatures. This recurrent crisis was no exception at the beginning of 2025, with active fires threatening ecosystems, homes, and local economies.
In our country, the fire season varies depending on the geographical region, usually increasing during the summer when extreme conditions often lead to large-scale and intense fires.
Thus, the effects of global warming and climate change make extreme events of high temperatures, low relative humidity, and strong winds more frequent, creating a high-risk situation that can result in large-scale and difficult-to-control fires.
