2024-01-28 13:42:00
The flames exceeded the limits of the park and are already affecting part of the province of Chubut
For days, the Los Alerces National Park, located in the province of Chubut, has been burning and despite the authorities’ attempts to control the forest fire, the fire does not let up and has already consumed almost 600 hectares of the protected area. In that sense, they assured that the situation is “out of control.”
The flames started Thursday night. According to the information provided at that time by the National Environment Secretariat, the fire spread as a result of two igneous sources that were at a close distance. However, as the days passed, the magnitude of the fire began to grow.
This Saturday night, the administration of the Los Alerces National Park released the latest report on the situation so far, in which it assures that the fire is “active” and reports that it has already affected an area whose estimated size is 579 hectares.
“The fire covers two jurisdictions (National Parks and Chubut Province). Operation with road machinery was added to the work planned this morning,” the press release states. Likewise, they announced that for today, Sunday, the Unified Command “will assign 87 combatants to the line, 2 hydrant planes, 2 helicopters with buckets, and 1 observation plane,” as well as “more personnel” will be required from the SNMF.
The latest statement from Los Alerces National Park speaks of some 579 hectares affected by the El Centinela Fire.
“The fire covers two jurisdictions (National Parks and Chubut Province). Operation with road machinery was added to the work planned this morning,” the press release states. Likewise, they announced that for today, Sunday, the Unified Command “will assign 87 combatants to the line, 2 hydrant planes, 2 helicopters with buckets, and 1 observation plane,” as well as “more personnel” will be required from the SNMF.
Yesterday, the head of the Department of Fire, Communications and Emergencies (ICE), Mario Cárdenas, explained to Télam that “the head of the fire left the jurisdiction of the Park and entered the province.” Faced with this worrying scenario, the authorities decided to form a unified command to coordinate the work of the teams that work tirelessly to put out the flames. “This is going to be a long time, there will be many more days,” Cardenas said, alleging that “the fire is still active” and that “it is out of control.”
The fire is “out of control,” according to the authorities of Los Alerces National Park.
Added to this dramatic situation is the fact that the weather conditions do not cooperate, since there are strong gusts of wind and high temperatures, “which makes the tasks quite difficult,” in line with Cárdenas’ statements.
Regarding the advance of the flames, the official stated that “during the night, the fire continued with extreme behavior, towards La Torta Hill.” In addition, he highlighted that the operation carried out by the volunteer firefighters from Esquel and Trevelin was successful, since no homes were affected.
In this regard, the Los Alerces park ranger, Danilo Hernández Otaño, expanded that the focus of the fire is in an area of native forest, where there are no people. “Although the campers at the campsite on the shores of Lake Futalaufquen see the fire, visitors are not at risk, nor are those traveling along provincial route 71,” he specified.
The wildfire started Thursday night
Although there are still not many details regarding the magnitude of the damage, it is known that several species that make up the native forest were affected, such as the ñire, laura, cohiue cane, and lenga. Likewise, it is planned that early this morning they will carry out a damage reconnaissance flight, which will also serve to analyze the behavior of the fire.
National Parks, the Provincial Fire Management Service of Chubut, the National Fire Management Service (SNMF), Volunteer Firefighters, Gendarmerie, Prefecture and Civil Defense Esquel Delegation work jointly in the operations.
These teams have a pumper, two helicopters, fifteen trucks, a tanker, two road machinery, two hydrant planes, a weather station, four drones, 16 firefighters who work on site along with 26 SMNF brigade members.
Hydrant planes are part of the operation to combat the El Centinela Fire in Los Alerces National Park.
In parallel, during the day on Saturday, from the Nation, they provided another eight brigade members to work on the construction of defense lines in the area where fires occur, to which another 42 people will be added in the next few hours, who will focus their efforts in the Las Golondrinas area. The SMNF reported that, in the event that greater collaboration of aircraft is requested, another helicopter will be made available.
To prevent new active outbreaks from being generated, the authorities requested that fire use measures be taken to an extreme in the protected area and reported that, if any igneous point is observed, ICE should be called (2945-548822). Likewise, they recalled the prohibition that applies to lighting fires in free-use areas, advised extreme caution when traveling on Route 71 and mentioned that the internal roads of Cerro La Torta, El Dedal, Alto El Petiso, Cocinero, Quebrada are closed. del León and La Balsa.
The fire in Los Alerces National Park has already consumed almost 600 hectares.
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