Wildfires in Patagonia "impossible to stop"
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BUENOS AIRES — Fast‑moving wildfires across Argentina’s Patagonia region have intensified into what emergency officials describe as an “almost impossible‑to‑stop” crisis, fueled by extreme heat, prolonged drought and high winds linked to the accelerating climate emergency, according to reporting from The Guardian.
According to the newssite, since 5 January, wildfires have scorched more than 36,000 hectares (90,000 acres) of native forest, grassland, rural settlements and tourist areas across Patagonia, with the southern Argentine province of Chubut among the hardest hit, according to the Federal Emergency Agency (AFE). Greenpeace estimates the burned area has already surpassed 40,000 hectares.
Local resident and environmental advocate Lucas Chiappe described the chaotic scene, recalling “some well‑off guy, covered in mud, hauling a motor pump out of a luxury 4x4.”
The crisis extends beyond Argentina. Chile is also battling major wildfires, with at least 18 deaths reported this month. Environmental groups and frontline workers attribute the severity of the fires to extreme weather conditions, which scientists link to the climate crisis, compounded by cuts to national fire‑prevention budgets.
Fire crews in Río Negro and Chubut provinces say they are operating with reduced resources following deep federal budget cuts to environmental and emergency agencies. Local brigades report shortages of aircraft, fuel and protective equipment as multiple fire fronts advance simultaneously.
Scientists warn that the region’s parched forests and grasslands have become highly combustible after years of declining rainfall. Ecologists say some affected ecosystems may take decades to recover.
The crisis has been further inflamed by conspiracy theories circulating among political allies of President Javier Milei, who have accused Mapuche Indigenous communities of intentionally setting fires. Community leaders and independent experts reject the claims as baseless and politically motivated, noting that Mapuche settlements are among the hardest hit by the destruction.
Evacuations continue across several rural zones as residents describe fire behavior that shifts rapidly with wind changes, overwhelming containment lines. Local officials say the scale and speed of the fires exceed available response capacity.
Illustration Credit: NASA Earthdata
Smoke from fires in Patagonia, Argentina, can be seen in the mountain valleys in this true-color corrected reflectance image captured on Jan. 8, 2026, from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard the Terra platform. Overlaid on the image are orange dots indicating the presence of a fire or thermal anomaly occurring within a 1km x 1km pixel.
Further Reading:
https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/news/worldview-image-archive/fires-patagonia-arg…