Wildfires sweep Patagonia as critics blame budget cuts straining Argentina’s ability to fight back

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CN) — Jade Sívori, 33, could only see smoke when the fire reached the hills next to the home where she lives with her 1-month-old daughter. And when she saw ashes falling from the sky, she realized it was time for them to go. Members of their community helped them evacuate from their place in Puerto Patriada, on the shores of Lake Epuyén, a protected area in the Patagonian province of Chubut.

Sívori, a photographer, said the native forest was swept by fire in a way she had never seen before. Her area became one of the hot spots in the wildfires that have burned, according to Greenpeace Argentina, over 80 square miles so far. Independent brigades and official first responders are struggling to extinguish the blaze.

“I never thought I would have to leave my community,” Sívori said, as aid helicopters flew above her. Fearful her baby daughter would inhale smoke, she saw no other choice.

Wildfires in Argentine Patagonia have been a constant for the last few years, with their intensity and impact increasing as prevention programs have been scaled back. Environmental groups and fire specialists have warned that hotter, drier summers are making the region more vulnerable to large fires. And while independent brigades and public first responders struggled incessantly to extinguish the fire, locals begged for more consistent federal aid.

Matías Cena Trebucq, an economist at FARN, an NGO advocating for human and environmental rights, said the fire management budget has been cut repeatedly. He pointed to a 70% reduction since 2023, when President Javier Milei took office pledging to slash public spending.

Cena Trebucq stressed the recently approved 2026 budget is unlikely to offer improvements, with further cuts of over 70% in funding to prevent the wildfires — from data production to flight hours of fire-management aircraft.

There are fewer people dedicated to assessing, alerting and eventually fighting the fires, too. A 2023 report from the National Park office said it needed at least 700 wildland responders across the country. But there are fewer than 400 today, said Alejo Fardjoume, a National Parks employee for more than two decades and representative in the national public workers union.

Employees earn barely $500 per month, on average, adjusted at the official exchange rate. “It’s an extremely fragile situation,” Fardjoume said. “Many work more than one job, or had to leave because they couldn’t make ends meet.”

The government remained largely silent during the first days of the crisis last week. On Sunday, President Javier Milei posted on X an AI-crafted image of himself shaking hands with firefighters.

“The wretches who started the fire are going to end up in jail,” Chubut Governor Ignacio Torres told reporters, as he announced a reward for information leading to those responsible.

Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva quickly blamed Mapuche Indigenous communities in Patagonia — who have opposed the government and long clashed with authorities over land rights — saying the fires had been started by “terrorist groups called Mapuches.”

“I know nothing about that,” said Carlos Díaz Mayer, the case’s prosecutor, in a radio interview. “There’s nothing involving them in this case. I would straightforwardly reject that accusation.”

Although some of the fires may have been intentionally set and remain under investigation, lightning caused two of the largest blazes, according to Hernán Giardini of Greenpeace. “Storms in the area are also part of the climate crisis,” he said.

Giardini said summer wildfires are becoming increasingly normal. His team at Greenpeace deemed the events a “foretold ecocide.”

“Many are contained quickly, and those that are not contained evolve into what we are seeing now,” he said. By Tuesday, half of the hot spots were under control, authorities said — but many fear these fires were just the beginning of a long season.

After days of locals demanding federal aid, Milei’s chief of staff Manuel Adorni said Sunday 295 firefighters have been deployed to fight the fires, along with aerial resources, fire engines and logistical support from the military.

“I want to thank all volunteers, firefighters and brigadiers who are fighting against the fires,” Milei wrote on X, alongside the AI-generated photo of himself.

“Under these conditions, wildfires will keep coming,” said Cena Trebucq. “But they’re defunding every resource we have to prevent it from happening.”

Lucía Cholakian Herrera is a Courthouse News reporter based in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Follow @luciacholakian