A national park in Argentina is raged by a large wildfire which, according to the park's emergency department, is getting out of control.
Uncontrolled Blaze
On the night of January 25, a fire broke out in the eastern part of Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Argentina. The fire started near the Centinela River, close to Rosales Bay on Lake Futalaufquen. Within hours, the fire has spread to wider terrains and forests.
As of January 29, the wildfire was declared "out of control" by Mario Cardenas, the head of the park's fire, communications, and emergency department. Local authorities expect it will take days before the situation gets under control. A state of emergency is likely to remain in effect until April.
The towns of Esquel and Trevelin, located about 1,243 miles (2,000 kilometers) southwest of Buenos Aires, are the areas most directly affected by the fire. Rescue workers struggle to keep the fire from reaching other nearby towns and their immediate vicinity in Chubut province.
The devastating blaze has covered approximately two square miles (1,500 acres). Over 250 firefighters, ground brigades, two helicopters, and two air tankers were deployed, which dropped water to extinguish the fire. However, their efforts were complicated by unfavorable weather conditions, marked by high temperatures and persistent winds.
During the summer season in Argentina, the highest temperatures usually occur in the central and northern areas. This month, southern Patagonia broke records by reaching more than 107.6 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).
Chubut province governor Ignacio Torres flew over to Los Alerces National Park to inspect the destruction in the area. From their investigations, local officials have confirmed that the fire was caused by arson. In a radio interview, Torres alleged that the wildfire was started by members of the Mapuche Ancestral Resistance (RAM). It is a marginal Indigenous group that advocates against logging and claims the portion of land the state took during the 19th century.
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Threat Against Wildlife
Los Alerces National Park was founded in 1937 and was listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2017. Covering an area of almost 1,004 square miles (260,000 hectares), this park is a visually stunning Andean panorama surrounded by lakes and temperate forests.
Its landscape was shaped by successive glaciations, creating spectacular features like clear water lakes, glacial cirques, and moraines. The site plays an important role in protecting some of the last areas of Patagonia's continuous forest in a nearly intact state. Aside from this, Los Alerces National Park also serves as a habitat for several endemic and threatened species of flora and fauna. Located in the Andes of northern Patagonia with boundaries coinciding with the Chilean border, this park is vital for protecting the Patagonian Forest.
The park is home to a pristine forest of alerce trees, the second longest-lived tree species in the world. Also known as Fitzroya, the Patagonian cypress is a large conifer native to Argentina and Chile. Some can be several thousand years old and grow up to 164 feet (50 meters) in height.
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