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Argentina on Extreme Wildfire Alert as Chubut Evacuates Hundreds and Homes Burn

Unusually hot, dry, windy conditions are accelerating fires, straining crews.

Overview

  • National fire authorities placed 16 provinces under an “extreme” danger alert based on the Fire Weather Index, signaling conditions for rapid spread.
  • Chubut’s Puerto Patriada and nearby Comarca Andina saw about 700 people evacuated and at least 10 houses and several vehicles destroyed, with operations hampered by single-road access.
  • Provincial and national teams deployed hundreds of responders and multiple aircraft, and the governor requested additional air assets while investigations assess potential human causes.
  • La Pampa reported nearly 100,000 hectares burned, as rural group CARBAP pressed for preventive planning, equipment and special credit lines to rebuild farm infrastructure.
  • In Santa Cruz, a wildfire near Cerro Huemul in Los Glaciares National Park burned an estimated 340 hectares, closed the Vuelta del Huemul route and prompted boat evacuations of stranded trekkers.