The battle against the fire in the Timaukel commune continues, but without giving good signs. Today, the brigade members and the rest of the work teams were grateful for the drizzle that appeared in the area of the fire, although it was not enough to combat the raging fire that is endangering one of the most important native forests in the fight against climate change. from the country.
Because of this Daniela Droguett, Director of WCS Chile in Magallanes, He asked the country’s authorities to be more concerned about what is happening in Tierra del Fuego. “They look like few hectares, but those hectares are extremely important because they are forests that take 60 or 80 years to grow., then losing one of these is going to take us a lifetime to get them back”, adds the director.
Point out that there is a lack of planes to speed up the movement of water, since so far there is only one helicopter. He appreciates the presence and efforts of the brigade members and the rest of the teams, but he also believes that the affected area is difficult to access, so greater air support is necessary.
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According to data provided by Conaf to ThirdCurrently there are two backhoes, four Conaf combat brigades, two fire trucks, an army brigade, four cistern trucks, four bulldozer trucks, four skids, three excavators, and a front loader to fight the fire.
What’s more, Aida Baldini, Conaf Forest Fire Protection Manager, He explains that two tanker aircraft are waiting, but due to the rainfall and winds in the area, it is difficult to fight the fire by air. That is why it has been decided to use machinery to make firebreaks and other implements for ground combat, such as swimming pools, motor pumps, hoses.
But nevertheless, Melissa Carmody, Coordinator of the Karukinka Natural Park, believes that these resources have also fallen short. “There is a lack of cistern trucks, there is a lack of pools to store water, because there are many places where there is no easy access to water, so working with a motorized pump is difficult,” he adds.
The geography of the area is also a problem, as trucks have to travel long distances to access water sources., so there is also a lack of resources to pay for fuel, which has mainly been provided by the municipality of Timaukel.
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The incident began on Tuesday, January 25, and its origin continues to be investigated by Conaf. So far, it is not a fire that is considered to be a large one, although hundreds more hectares could quickly be added to the 250 that have already been affected, due to the erratic behavior that characterizes it.
“It is a fire in an area with a high fuel load, not only live trees, but also a large number of dead trees on the ground, which have been gathering”, explains Aida Baldini. This accumulation does not produce large flames, but it does produce a lot of heat intensity and spark jumps.
This worries Melissa Carmody because winds of up to 90 kilometers are forecast in the coming days. “The park is surrounding the fire sector in a certain way, so any change in the direction of the wind will affect it, we are being threatened on many flanks,” he explains.