• In early January, fires struck the Chubut region in Argentine Patagonia
• Drought and high temperatures in Argentina hampered rescue efforts
• Since 2023, Milei has cut fire management funding by 70%

Flames are devastating Patagonia in Argentina. On 5 January, a fire broke out in Puerta Patriada, a small locality in the southern province of Chubut, and within a very short time had burned 150 square kilometres of territory. At this time of year (it is summer in Argentina) fires are not uncommon, but in recent years they have increased enormously in terms of extent, frequency and duration. Satellite images released by NASA show that among the areas affected by the fires is the UNESCO World Heritage site of Los Alarces National Park, where around three thousand tourists were forced to evacuate, while a great many homes were reduced to ashes.

The fires were fuelled by arid conditions

The hypothesis that the fires in Patagonia were not sparked by natural causes has been put forward by the governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, who has also offered a reward of 50 million pesos (nearly 30,000 euros) to anyone who identifies possible arsonists or assists in resolving the investigation. In the meantime, a large number of forces have been deployed to fight the flames: in Los Alarces National Park alone, more than 200 personnel and six aircraft (two water bombers and four helicopters) have been deployed. There is, however, a second problem hampering normal firefighting operations: the temperature. Drought and high temperatures (with highs around 34 degrees Celsius), combined with strong gusts of wind, have hindered rescue efforts. Only the rain of the last weekend brought some relief, causing temperatures to drop and humidity levels to rise.

Julia Strada ✓ @Juli_Strada

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¿Sabés que hizo Milei para prevenir los incendios en nuestro país? NADA

1. Desfinanció el Servicio Nacional de Manejo del Fuego: en 2024 ejecutó, en términos reales, 81,0% menos que en 2023, en 2025 70,8% menos y en el presupuesto 2026 (de ejecutarse el 100% de lo presupuestado)

♥ 1825💬 514 8 gen 2026 · Apri su X →

Milei's environmental policy

"A foreseeable ecocide." These are the words of Hernán Giardini, coordinator of the Forests campaign at Greenpeace, on the fires in Argentine Patagonia. The episode shines a light on a fragile system that lacks adequate infrastructure, monitoring and prevention, and raises serious questions about the conduct of President Milei. Elected in November 2023, Javier Milei has sought to dismantle the two main pillars of environmental protection in Argentina: the glacier law, which prohibits extractive activities on glaciers; and the native forests law, which limits deforestation. Although he was forced to withdraw his proposal due to the absence of a parliamentary majority, his attempt to redefine the forest law protecting the Chaco ecoregion in the north of the country ultimately succeeded. The revised law has granted total freedom and impunity to local deforestation operations, with the result that in 2024 alone the Chaco ecoregion saw nearly 400 sq km of scrubland and forest disappear. Among the latest news concerning Milei and his environmental policy is the widely criticised decision to cut funding for firefighting resources (the Servicio nacional del manejo del fuego). Indeed, as reported by Julia Strada, political scientist and Argentine MP, on X, in 2025 the budget allocated to fire management was cut by 70 per cent compared to 2023.