‘The land will be left as ashes’: why Patagonia’s wildfires are almost impossible to stop

[VINO]

Very sad what is going on with the fires in Patagonia.

‘The land will be left as ashes’: why Patagonia’s wildfires are almost impossible to stop

Funding cuts, conspiracy theories and ‘powder keg’ pine plantations have seen January’s forest fires tear through Chubut in southern Argentina

www.theguardian.com

 

[Stan]

Sad situation. I keep reading how salaries are going up but it sure doesn't seem like it from every article I'm reading that talks about current salaries. The article mentioned 650,000 pesos to 850,000 pesos for a firefighter. That is only $440 USD to $575 USD per month. You can't convince me that things are going to end up ok in Argentina longer term with this low of salaries and high cost of living.

 

[Nasdaq]

Sad situation. I keep reading how salaries are going up but it sure doesn't seem like it from every article I'm reading that talks about current salaries. The article mentioned 650,000 pesos to 850,000 pesos for a firefighter. That is only $440 USD to $575 USD per month. You can't convince me that things are going to end up ok in Argentina longer term with this low of salaries and high cost of living.

The salaries in Argentina are still piss poor. This is a great graphic to see how salaries are in Argentina over the past decades.

 

[naked]

Finally they declared it an emergency.

Government declares emergency over Patagonia wildfires

Milei administration declares fire emergency in Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén and La Pampa via emergency decree; Affected areas declared a disaster zone by authorities.

www.batimes.com.ar

 

[brandon]

So rather than prosecute kosher criminals setting fires to Patagonia, Milei has apparently invoked a new anti-semitism law.

Anti-Semitism" is Now Punishable by a 12 Year Prison Sentence in Argentina!

 

[Good Stuff]

As a skier, I am very in tune with snowpack and their effect on wildfires. There was barely any snow this past 2025 season in Patagonia. Fires are more prevalent with drier soils. Same thing happens in the USA and around the world. This also has a horrible affect on tourism and economic situations. It is sad to see. Some years lightning causes it, some years the Mapuche or Jews are accused. Usually it is just an idiot. If it is a big snow year there are minimal wildfires. 2024 was a big snow year, so wildfires were not a big issue the following summer. So let's all hope for a good year of snow so the locals can make some money and the forests are not as burned.

 

[Uncle Wong]

As a skier, I am very in tune with snowpack and their effect on wildfires. There was barely any snow this past 2025 season in Patagonia. Fires are more prevalent with drier soils. Same thing happens in the USA and around the world. This also has a horrible affect on tourism and economic situations. It is sad to see. Some years lightning causes it, some years the Mapuche or Jews are accused. Usually it is just an idiot. If it is a big snow year there are minimal wildfires. 2024 was a big snow year, so wildfires were not a big issue the following summer. So let's all hope for a good year of snow so the locals can make some money and the forests are not as burned.

So the thing about the Jews setting the fires isn't true? I saw online a video and it did look like Jewish people had a fire going. Not saying they were starting the fire on purpose but an Argentine was yelling no fires are allowed there.

 

[Good Stuff]

So the thing about the Jews setting the fires isn't true? I saw online a video and it did look like Jewish people had a fire going. Not saying they were starting the fire on purpose but an Argentine was yelling no fires are allowed there

There are always idiots and jerks starting fires where they shouldn't, doesn't matter what group they pertain to and I like seeing people getting called out on it. Whether that video is representative of the Epuyen/El Hoyo fires is hard to determine. It is certainly a problem where people do dumb and entitled stuff on vacation whether in the city or the forest. I can't imagine anybody being prosecuted based upon a video, only if they were caught red handed. Many local guides, hunters, fisherman(environmentalists) etc.. hold the Mapuche as longterm suspects in fires and destruction of roads. But as our bud Smokey says, "Only you can stop forest fires."

 

[Betsy Ross]

As a skier, I am very in tune with snowpack and their effect on wildfires. There was barely any snow this past 2025 season in Patagonia. Fires are more prevalent with drier soils. Same thing happens in the USA and around the world. This also has a horrible affect on tourism and economic situations. It is sad to see. Some years lightning causes it, some years the Mapuche or Jews are accused. Usually it is just an idiot. If it is a big snow year there are minimal wildfires. 2024 was a big snow year, so wildfires were not a big issue the following summer. So let's all hope for a good year of snow so the locals can make some money and the forests are not as burned.

This is probably true. Hopefully there is a very good year of heavy snow.

There are always idiots and jerks starting fires where they shouldn't, doesn't matter what group they pertain to and I like seeing people getting called out on it. Whether that video is representative of the Epuyen/El Hoyo fires is hard to determine. It is certainly a problem where people do dumb and entitled stuff on vacation whether in the city or the forest. I can't imagine anybody being prosecuted based upon a video, only if they were caught red handed. Many local guides, hunters, fisherman(environmentalists) etc.. hold the Mapuche as longterm suspects in fires and destruction of roads. But as our bud Smokey says, "Only you can stop forest fires."

I also heard the Mapuche are probably to blame but the change of law allowing burned land to be sold to foreigners is suspicious timing too.