Argentina ablaze: nearly 3,000 square miles lost to fires so far this year

[sandensea]

Argentina is ablaze, with fires devastating an estimated 7,697 km² (2,972 mi²) of land so far this year: that’s nearly the size of Puerto Rico.

Only three provinces out of 23 - Tierra del Fuego, Santa Cruz and San Juan - have escaped any damage, with Córdoba and Entre Ríos bearing the brunt: 4,547 km² (1,756 mi²) of land has been damaged by fire in these two provinces alone.

Yesterday’s daily National Fire Management Service (SNMF) report also showed 18 wildfires as still “active”: five in Salta, four in Córdoba, three each in Jujuy and Tucumán, two in Catamarca, and one in La Rioja.

According to the SNMF, 95% of fires are caused by man: either deliberately, when preparing land for pasture or plantation; or carelessly.

This year, a perfect storm of factors – a harsh winter in many parts of the country, followed by severe drought and high winds – have meant vegetation is dry as tinder, and fires have raged out of control.

The intentional nature of most of these fires has prompted Lower House Majority Leader Máximo Kirchner to introduce legislation on October 2 to amend the Fires Management Law of 2012 to prohibit any change in land use over areas affected by fires - for 30 years in the case of grassland and meadows, and 60 years in the case of forests, wetlands, and other protected areas.

The bill, designed to discourage setting fires for commercial or speculative ends, has the support of every party in Congress except the right-wing Together for Change coalition - which staunchly defends landowner interests.

At: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/argentina-ablaze.phtml

Fire surrounds a gas station west of Córdoba, Argentina - near the epicenter of a string of intentional blazes nationwide, many becoming hard to control due to drought and high winds.

Most are set by farmers and ranchers seeking to enrich lands - though some have reportedly been set in protest against the current center-left administration.

A bill introduced in Congress to discourage setting fires for commercial or speculative ends, has the support of every party in Congress except the right-wing Together for Change coalition - and is likely to pass.

[niyad]

1. Heartbreaking.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Horrible hearing this.It's truly vile if winger owners did do it to protest a progressive President.

Leaders who work to improve conditions for everyone are getting vicious lash back from the greedy fascist element which has been controlling countries far too long.

[sandensea]

3. Sure. They've done this before - but this time the tables were turned on them

Right-wing media was (of course) already using the fires as part of their relentless "discouragement" campaign - basically psy-ops designed to impart a sense of malaise among voters (some of it justified, as things are very hard right now - but more often by way of melodrama or fake news outright).

But then House Majority leader Máximo Kirchner turned the tables by introducing this fires management bill.

This put Macri's party (now led by Pat Bullrich) in the uncomfortable position of opposing this very popular bill, and having to explain why (they can't).

They have to oppose it, you see, not only because it has a Kirchner's name on it (rather like anything with Obama's name on it, among Republicans); but because landowner lobbies demand they do so.

Good chatting again, Judi. As always.