Patagonia burns relentlessly. Since the beginning of December, the flames have devoured more than 4,000 hectares of woods, protected areas and homes. The exceptional temperatures at the end of the year, combined with the prolonged drought and the influx of tourists, have turned the region into a powder keg ready to explode.
Three large outbreaks are currently active: two in the province of Chubut – in Puerto Patriada (El Hoyo) and in Los Alerces National Park – and one in Santa Cruz, in the Túnel Inferior area of Los Glaciares National Park, near Cerro Huemul. Since last Monday, thousands of hectares of forest have been devoured by fire, one year after the worst forest fires to hit Patagonia in the last thirty years.
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Puerto Patriada: 1,800 hectares burned and houses destroyed
The fire that broke out on Monday afternoon in Puerto Patriada continues to advance along Cerro Pique, on the shores of Lake Epuyén. The toll is heavy: 1,800 hectares destroyed and at least ten homes compromised. The authorities have ordered preventive evacuations in Puerto Patriada and part of Epuyén.
The prosecutor’s office has ascertained the malicious origin of the fire. For this reason, the governor announced a reward of 50 million pesos for anyone who provides useful information to identify those responsible. At least two of the ongoing fires were apparently set intentionally.
Los Alerces: the Millenary Larch and the Torrecillas glacier at risk
The most critical situation concerns the Los Alerces National Park, where the flames threaten irreplaceable natural treasures. The fire front is located less than five kilometers from the Millenary Larch, one of the oldest trees on the planet and a UNESCO heritage site. The Torrecillas glacier, fundamental to the park’s water system, is also at risk.
The fire, which started on December 9 due to lightning, has so far burned 111 square kilometers. For weeks the firefighters had managed to contain it, but the lack of rain dried up the waterways used to put out the flames. The extreme conditions then generated a convective column over 1,000 meters high: the wind carried incandescent embers beyond the control lines, causing the fire to even cross Lake Menéndez.
Over 50 people are working on site with three aircraft, but the authorities warn that the intensity of the fire makes any intervention in the short term difficult.
“We need more men, not just vehicles”
The most serious alarm comes from the volunteer firefighters: the current staff is not enough for such a vast area. With multiple outbreaks active at the same time, operators work tirelessly in extreme conditions, putting their safety at risk.
We viral the ALIAS INCENDIOSARG00 named Mauricio Jara for Incendios Forestales Argentina. MANGERS and CASCOS are necessary for brigadistas who are going about their lives fighting fires.
We are alone, only among Argentinians can we save ourselves—
vicentebrisa (@vicentebrisa_) January 7, 2026
In addition to air vehicles and equipment, more specialized operators are urgently needed, without sufficient personnel it becomes impossible to monitor the territory and intervene when the outbreaks are still small and manageable.
Other fires put out over the weekend
Over the weekend, the flames were put out in Cholila, also in the El Hoyo area. Here too the investigations confirmed the arson origin: someone used fuel to accelerate the spread of the fire. Thanks to the coordinated intervention of the volunteers, major damage was avoided.
The fires in El Turbio and Lago Engaño are also under control. Minor outbreaks remain active in the Lanín National Park and along the Chubut River, considered less worrying thanks to the high humidity of the local vegetation.
