The National Park Administration formalized a measure that prohibits the use of fire in protected areas of Patagonia and other areas in the center of the country due to the increased risk of forest fires for the Summer season 2025-2026.
Experts warn that current weather conditions and the outlook for the summer months increase the risk of fire in the Patagonia region and a significant part of the central region, justifying the adoption of urgent measures. The decision took into account a technical report entitled “Regional application of the fire ban for the various protected areas of the national park administration” that accompanied the Decision 390/2025 published this Tuesday.
The document “explains the current situation and the forecast for the coming months in the different regions of the country regarding fire danger, warns of a high fire risk for the Patagonia region and recommends the introduction of specific restrictions on the use of fire.”
“In addition, there must be a ban from the issuance of this document and throughout the duration of the risk season Carrying out any combustion and establish additional measures to regulate the use of fire in public areas Lanín, Nahuel Huapi, Los Arrayanes, Lago Puelo and Los Alerces National Parkswhich represent the protected areas with the highest risk of forest fires,” the standard states.
At the same time, the current standard mentions this Several southern provinces have already declared a fire emergency through the application of decrees to implement prevention and control rules in view of the risk of forest fires in a region where incidents of significant proportions have already occurred in recent years.
“Given these circumstances, the provinces of the Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut have declared a magmatic emergency through the Provincial Decrees No. 198/2025, 1,004/2025 and 1,392/2025 or the introduction of complementary fire prevention and fighting measures aimed at tourist concessionaires and the community in general.”
With these arguments, the government ordered this from December 5th and until April 30th, 2026Any burning is prohibited in the above-mentioned parks. The use of food cooking facilities is only permitted in camps organized by authorized tourism operators (concessionaires or permit holders), as “it is necessary to strengthen preventive measures regarding the use of fire in all protected areas.”
The resolution approved by the Board of Directors also provides for the repeal of an ordinance issued in May last year that allowed the use of fire with the authorization of municipalities, now allowing a single and more restrictive criterion. However, it should be noted that in the non-covered regions, the possibility of using fire is subject to state approval Forest Fire and Emergency Response Directoratein accordance with the procedures established in previous resolutions.
The new legal framework stipulates that “in case of confirmed violations, not only will an appropriate criminal complaint be filed, but also maximum penalties will be imposed, as set out in the current regulations on the subject, in particular in cases where the action triggers an outbreak of fire”, although it was not specified what these will be.
Just a few days ago Supreme Court of the Nation ordered the national state, the provinces Buenos Aires, Between rivers And Santa Feand the communities of victory And rosary implement that Comprehensive Strategic Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Use in the Paraná Delta (PIECAS-DP) Stop fires in the region. The ruling came after it was found that the repeated burnings violated the right to health and a healthy environment of the delta’s residents.
The decision required the installation of specific infrastructure, such as: Conservation Lighthouse Network And Early warning systemsto stop the burning that, according to official figures, destroyed 487,000 hectares – or 21% of the delta – in 2020. The legal proceedings began in 2020 after a lawsuit by Civil association of equestrian sports to protect the environmentwhich warned of the development of smoke and soot.
During the file, technical reports indicated that many outbreaks were of deliberate origin and related to livestock farming on pastures in a context of drought and low water levels. He Ministry of Environment agreed with the diagnosis, warned of respiratory poisoning and damage to biodiversity.
The judges found the authorities’ actions inadequate and, although they would not maintain continuous judicial supervision, they ordered the implementation of the plan and control mechanisms, underscoring the obligation to protect the environment through coordinated federal action.
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