Overview
- Prosecutors opened an inquiry after Cafayate’s mayor filed a complaint on June 9 and the local fiscal, Sandra Rojas, has not ruled out intentional ignition while crews fight a fire that has burned roughly 200 hectares.
- National and provincial agencies have reinforced the Cafayate response with two Agencia Federal de Emergencias water‑bomber planes, brigades from the Brigada Nacional Centro, volunteer and police firefighters, and logistics teams working to cool hotspots.
- Strong Zonda winds have reactivated flames in Cafayate, with local fire chiefs reporting gusts above 70 km/h that complicate containment and force teams to focus on subsoil smouldering and perimeter cooling to prevent rebounds.
- Spain’s heatwave has raised fire risk and produced several active incidents — including A Capela (about 20–25 hectares) and a cross‑border front in A Mezquita that officials put at multiple tens of hectares — while large regional devices such as Plan Infoca and BRIF brigades remain deployed.
- Officials warn of stretched suppression capacity and local harm to people and economies: Cafayate’s municipal council declared an 18‑month environmental emergency to fund recovery of native forest and protect vineyards, and authorities say they will monitor weather‑driven reactivations and the ongoing judicial probe.