He fire affecting Los Alerces National Park in the province Chubut is already almost devastated 270 hectares the area considered to have the greatest ecological value within the protected area. The emergency, which has existed for more than a week, occurs in the southern arm of Lake Menéndez, a sector classified as intangible and wild nature reserve. The persistent drought and water deficit in the region increased the vulnerability of the ecosystem, complicating control tasks and forcing constant deployment of brigade members and aerial resources.
Despite the extent of the fire, authorities confirmed this No houses are at riskas there are no residents or park rangers in the affected area, according to information accessed by local media. LM Neuquen.
The mayor of the national park, Danilo Hernández Otañoemphasized that it was “the most valuable in the park from an ecological point of view,” but clarified: “No residents’ or park rangers’ houses are at risk, no one lives there.”.
The Los Alerces tourist services, hiking trails and public use areas continue to function normallyas the incident occurred in an area away from the usual traffic circles.
The origin of fire is attributed Lightning strike. Although this is the main hypothesis, An official investigation has been launched to determine the exact causes and the results of the reports are awaited.
The first column of smoke was discovered in the morning Tuesday, December 9thwhich immediately triggered the deployment of teams of brigade members and park rangers with support from a fire hydrant aircraft and a helicopter.
Fighting fires presents significant logistical challenges. The head of the Fire, Communications and Emergencies (ICE) division of Los Alerces National Park, Mario Cardenasdescribed the complexity of the terrain: “It’s a very complicated place to work. You have to clear a path as you climb, and the fire is practically closer to the summit than to the coast.”. Access is only possible via the lake, so brigade members have arrived by boat in recent days and formed four crews working with water pipes and hand tools.
The operation is supported by five air assets: two bucket-equipped helicopters, one amphibious aircraft and two AT fire hydrant aircraft. These resources are essential to reach areas with dense vegetation without accessible roads where land advance is limited.
The meteorological conditions They also did not advocate fire control. Although a cold front was expected to bring rain and moisture, climate change was not enough to significantly change the situation. For this Wednesday the weather forecast showed a maximum temperature of 17°Cminimum relative humidity of 45% and westerly winds in between 25 and 35 kilometers per hourwith gusts of greater intensity.
The area where the fire started is dominated by a tall forest of coihues and colihue cane, species that have been affected by the drought. Those responsible for the operation warned: “Because everything is so dry, any discharge poses a risk.”.
This event is one of a series Fires that have hit the region in recent years. The last large-scale incident in Los Alerces National Park occurred almost two years ago, when the fire destroyed thousands of acres within and beyond its borders. Incidents requiring the intervention of brigade members, air support and interdisciplinary coordination and resulting in damage to protected areas and native forests were also recorded in 2024 and early 2025.
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