BUENOS AIRES, Jan 31 (Bernama-dpa) -- Argentinian President Javier Milei has declared a state of emergency due to devastating wildfires in the South American country's Patagonia region, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Over 200,000 hectares have burned since the start of the Argentinian summer, with four southern provinces, Chubut, La Pampa, Neuquén and Río Negro, placed under emergency, media said on Friday.
In the Los Alerces National Park in Chubut alone, with its ancient Alerce trees and crystal-clear lakes, around 250 firefighters are currently battling wildfires over an area of about 10,000 hectares, the Federal Emergency Agency (AFE) reported. The park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017.
The state of emergency is intended to enable better coordination of wildfire fighting and the provision of emergency aid.
High temperatures and strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult. According to the local authorities, Chubut is also experiencing its worst drought since 1965.
"The adverse weather conditions, marked by drought and strong winds, have triggered a regional emergency, causing significant environmental damage, threatening property, and endangering residents’ lives," the state of emergency decree published in the official gazette stated.
Authorities believe that some of the wildfires, which began at the end of 2025, were deliberately set.
--BERNAMA-dpa
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