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Chubut Wildfires Burn Nearly 12,000 Hectares as Towns Brace for Reignitions

Prosecutors say fuel traces at the origin point indicate deliberate ignition.

Overview

  • The official toll rose to 11,970 hectares affected, with active fronts around El Hoyo, Epuyén and Puerto Patriada.
  • More than 3,000 people were evacuated and at least ten homes were destroyed, with Route 40 closures and threats to a local school and a power facility.
  • Rains arrived on Sunday providing brief relief, but officials say sustained precipitation is needed to prevent flare-ups.
  • The response expanded to roughly 295 national firefighters on the ground, nearly 80 reinforcements from Córdoba and 15 aerial assets, including a Boeing 737 Fireliner, with assistance offered by Chile.
  • Governor Ignacio Torres cited the province’s worst drought since 1965 and announced a 50 million peso reward for information as investigators pursue an arson case.