19 Dead, 135 Square Miles Burn In Central Chile; Similar In Chubut, Argentina, But Fire Response Funding Cut, Because $$

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An aerial view of burning houses as a wildfire blazes through Concepción, Chile, on Jan. 18. Credit: Guillermo Salgado/AFP via Getty Images

More than thirty wildfires ripped through Chile this weekend, killing 19 and burning more than 135 square miles and hundreds of homes in the regions of Biobío and Ñuble. Meanwhile, fires have raged for several weeks across the border in southern Argentina, burning across at least sixty square miles, including homes and native forests, but with no reported deaths.

The two countries are in the middle of an extended heatwave, and high winds have supercharged the spread of fires through already-dry native vegetation and forest plantations, explained Miguel Castillo, director of the Forest Fire Laboratory at the University of Chile. “Climate change, humidity conditions, strong winds, or a large number of consecutive days with temperatures above 30°C [86 degrees, Fahrenheit],” all contribute to the increasing frequency of large, deadly wildfires, said Castillo.

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​The federal response to weekslong fires in Argentina is markedly different from the situation rapidly unfolding in Chile. When the Patagonia fires began on January 5th, nearly a week passed before President Javier Milei addressed the emergency, posting an AI-generated image of him shaking hands with a firefighter. But since taking office in 2023, Milei slashed Argentina’s fire management budget by more than 70 percent. The 2026 budget includes further cuts to the National Fire Management Service, nearly halving the funds for what employees of the Argentine national park office say is an agency that’s already understaffed.

During his campaign, Milei repeatedly argued that environmental protections are government overreaches that hinder business growth. He has also expressed great skepticism about climate change, going so far as to call it a “socialist hoax.” Climate denial in Argentina is “very dangerous,” said Nemenmann. “It generates concrete, tangible impacts. It generates public policy, a policy that denies the root of the problem.”

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/20012026/patagonia-wildfires-fueled-by-heat-drought-wind/

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