Five days ago, the town of Epuyén in the Chubut province caught fire. The forest fire has destroyed 3,000 hectares of forest and although there were no injuries, 200 homes were evacuated and at least 50 were completely destroyed.
Firefighters and brigades from various towns in Chubut, such as Golondrinas, Cholila, Lago Puelo, El Maitén, Río Senguer, Esquel, and Trevelin are working to put out the fire. They were joined by agents from the National Brigade South of the National Fire Management Service (SNMF) and personnel from Los Alerces and Lago Puelo National Parks. Two hydrant planes, an observer plane and a helicopter equipped with a helibucket are also participating in the efforts.
The Epuyén fire, which started five days ago in an area known as Rinconada, occurred in a context of prolonged drought, a recurring problem in the Patagonian region in recent years. In addition, forests such as Epuyén without native vegetation and with pine plantations aggravate the magnitude of the fires.
🔥🌲 Desmentimos el absurdo ataque a los mapuche por parte del Gobierno Nacional y Provincial – El incendio en Epuyén, Chubut, se intensificó en las últimas horas. Uno de los frentes avanzó sobre la ladera del cerro Epuyén, generando gran preocupación. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/jr4DNsuvC7
— Revista Cítrica (@revistacitrica) January 18, 2025
Compounding the crisis is the fire in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, which has destroyed more than 3,000 hectares. According to Hernán Giardini, coordinator of the Greenpeace forest campaign, the fire “will stop completely in April. Without heavy rains it will be difficult to control it.”
Although 95% of fires are caused by humans, either through negligence or intention, the current climate crisis with high temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity create conditions conducive to large-scale fires.
Accusations from the Chubut government
The governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, blamed the fires in the province on the Mapuche communities evicted last week by order of the national government. In response, residents of the town of Epuyén came out to deny it and point out that it is a media campaign to confuse the population and turn them against the families who lived on those lands.
“We need to clarify some things because officials and people outside the area are only confusing people,” said one of the residents of the area, as reported on Revista Cítrica’s social media.
“The fire that broke out on January 15 in the town of Epuyén has absolutely nothing to do with the eviction of the community. If there was something that complicated the combat of the fire and caused more than 70 houses to burn, it was the presence of pine forests like the one I have here behind me, abandoned by private individuals and neglected by the State itself, which also does not take responsibility. This surrounds us throughout the region and they are large combustible time bombs that constantly put us at risk and no one does anything to reverse it,” the woman emphasized.
Indigenous Mapuche activist Moira Millán told Página 12, that the declarations of Chubut’s governor are not only “irresponsible” but they are also “criminal, because they generate a subjectivity of hate towards the Mapuche people.”
Hace pocos días, desalojamos a un grupo de delincuentes que, bajo falsas banderas, decidieron usurpar tierras en el Parque Nacional “Los Alerces”, poniendo en riesgo el patrimonio de todos los argentinos. A las pocas horas del desalojo tuvimos tres focos de incendio simultáneos,… https://t.co/MS3QSVLc2b
— Nacho Torres (@NachoTorresCH) January 18, 2025
This article was initially published in Spanish by ARGmedios
