Overview
- Governor Ignacio Torres said the Puerto Patriada fire is 100% contained after more than a week of operations aided by recent rains.
- The blaze scorched roughly 11,970–12,000 hectares and damaged homes and infrastructure, and Epuyén declared a municipal state of catastrophe to expedite aid.
- More than 650 responders, eight aircraft and heavy equipment were deployed in a coordinated effort with national agencies and brigades from Neuquén, Río Negro, Córdoba and Santiago del Estero.
- Hotspots persist under observation in Parque Nacional Los Alerces, including areas such as Arroyo Braese, Lago Rivadavia, Cerro Riscoso and Valle de Ceferino amid ongoing drought and variable winds.
- Prosecutors report evidence of deliberate ignition tied to a local land dispute, with searches and phone seizures conducted, and they refuted viral claims blaming Israeli soldiers or Mapuche groups; no arrests have been made.