Overview
- Roughly 3,000 tourists were evacuated from Puerto Patriada and 15 families left their homes in Epuyén, where more than 10 houses have been destroyed.
- Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres said the next 48 hours are crucial given worsening weather, with about 500 responders deployed and reinforcements arriving from Córdoba and neighboring Chile.
- Local prosecutor Carlos Diaz Mayer reported evidence of an accelerant or gasoline, and authorities announced a 50 million peso reward for information leading to arrests.
- High temperatures, very dry vegetation, and strong winds are accelerating the spread as helicopters and water-bombing aircraft struggle to control extensive fire fronts.
- Officials and local media describe the outbreak as the worst in roughly three decades for the region, with red alerts across multiple provinces and thousands of hectares scorched since early January.