MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina’s Patagonia wildfires: flare-ups in Chubut spur evacuations as crews face “highly complex” blazes

Authorities have also stressed the likelihood of human causation. Photo: AP Photo/Maxi Jonas

Wildfires in Argentina’s Patagonia continued to pressure communities in Chubut province, with active fronts and repeated flare-ups reported around Epuyén, El Hoyo and Puerto Patriada, as heat, strong winds and very low humidity complicated containment efforts. Local coverage described preventive self-evacuations and round-the-clock watch shifts by firefighters, specialist brigades and residents trying to shield homes, livestock and productive areas.

According to TN, the main fire started weeks earlier near Puerto Patriada and remained active, while additional hotspots in the Andean corridor produced heavy smoke and reduced visibility, hindering ground operations. Crews have had to enter hard-to-reach zones on foot to cool hotspots and hold fire lines, because wind-driven reignitions can quickly expand a perimeter that looked stable the day before.

Authorities have also stressed the likelihood of human causation. Citing comments carried by Argentine media, the head of the Federal Emergency Agency (AFE), Santiago Hardie, said “95% of these events are caused by human action,” whether deliberate or negligent. Governor Ignacio “Nacho” Torres, in remarks reported locally, alleged the fires were intentionally set and said the judicial investigation was advancing—framing the response as both an emergency operation and a criminal probe.

Damage has included burned grasslands, fencing and rural infrastructure, with immediate losses for small producers and residents who often mount the first line of defense before reinforcements arrive. TN also reported that the near-term risk of spread remained high given forecasts that did not point to meaningful rainfall in the short term.

Wildfires are a recurring summer threat in Patagonia, but emergency officials warn that extreme heat and dryness increase the chances of persistent underground burning and “tree-hold” fires that can reignite under wind—one reason local commanders have urged crews not to relax even when a sector appears controlled.

Chile fires: update from the centre-south

Across the border, Chile has kept a large-scale response in Biobío and Ñuble after authorities confirmed the death toll rose to 20, with thousands evacuated and more than 500 people in shelters, alongside a night curfew and a state-of-catastrophe declaration. Local reporting also highlighted the arrest of a suspect in Penco as investigators examine potential causes of the blaze.