MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina to create unified Federal Emergency Agency

With 12 relief agencies overlapping efforts, they make a disaster, Bullrich explained

The Argentine Government announced Tuesday the creation of a Federal Emergency Agency to coordinate relief against major disasters such as fires and floods. There are 12 State structures overlapping in cases of emergencies, which “generates disorder,” explained Security Minister Patricia Bullrich from El Bolsón, where she was overseeing the wildfire fighting efforts alongside Defense Minister Luis Petri.

“Currently there are 12 State structures that fight emergencies, it is an overlapping that generates disorder.... Through an emergency [DNU] decree, we are going to create the Federal Agency of Emergencies that will have verticality in the management of funds and structures that today are dispersed in several ministries,” she elaborated.

Bullrich also pledged to be relentless against those who caused the arson outbreaks and thanked firefighters and neighbors who have been helping put down the flames.

In addition, the minister regretted that “130 houses have been burned, people have been left without their homes,” and even one El Bolsón resident died in the crisis.

Meanwhile, Petri concurred that the fires had been man-caused and advocated for the punishment of those responsible. “It was malicious, it was premeditated, we believe that these intentional fires have to end and, for that, we are sending a bill [to Congress] to raise the penalties, to prevent those who commit this type of havoc from quickly recovering their freedom, so that they have to pay for it with jail.”

He also pointed out that the new entity would “allow an efficient and real-time response in each of the emergencies that occur throughout the national territory.”

Together with Petri, “we evaluated the impact of the fire, the state of the firefighting operation, and the joint work strategies to mitigate the damages,” Río Negro Governor Alberto Weretilneck explained.

The weather Tuesday favored the extinguishing tasks Tuesday in the Province of Río Negro but the fire was overall still active and spreading erratically as air operations were limited due to strong gusty winds. The province is also facing a fire in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, where active outbreaks since last December have consumed more than 10,200 hectares.

Since December 2024, Argentine Patagonia has been facing forest fires that have also seriously affected the provinces of Neuquén and Chubut. In Neuquén, the Lanín National Park is suffering from a fire in the Magdalena Valley, active since January 2025, which consumed approximately 5,000 hectares. In the town of Epuyén, in the province of Chubut, a fire that started in January devastated approximately 3,500 hectares, affecting native forests and homes. Although part of the fire has been contained, there are still active outbreaks difficult to tackle.

Heading the new agency will be a representative from the National Government in the Federal Council for Integral Risk Management and Civil Protection, which includes representatives of all the jurisdictions of the country.