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Forestry Guild Calls for Coordinated Action Ahead of Next Wildfire Season

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The manager of the Association of Forestry Contractors (Acoforag A.G), René Muñoz Klock, stated that they have remained in communication with the various stakeholders involved in wildfire prevention and control. However, they believe the measures should be more widely communicated, and all involved parties should be engaged when disasters occur.

In a conversation with La Tribuna newspaper, the leader affirmed that "the planning for the season is based on what happened the previous season, so it’s already done. The planes are already contracted, and the public and private forestry brigades are operational."

He added that this planning "includes the support of forestry contractors for direct firefighting or prevention efforts. But when high temperatures make work unsafe, forestry operations are halted."

In this context, he explained that "when we talk about high temperatures, we mean temperatures above 35 degrees, with low relative humidity and strong winds." He further noted that "the possibility of a critical situation likely won’t arise before December of this year."

Although he mentioned that the guild is in contact with the national directorate of Conaf, he emphasized that "part of the regional directorate’s work is to open dialogue. We are available to help find solutions." However, Muñoz pointed out that "the national (wildfire) plan has not been communicated."

For this reason, the guild leader urged that "all institutions make themselves available to the Regional Governments or the Regional Government to assist. This includes the Armed Forces, which play an important role, also helping in prevention (...) We believe this support should focus on preventive patrols when conditions warrant it."

He gave an example: when higher fire risks arise due to high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, "there should be preventive patrols by the Armed Forces to support police efforts."

On the other hand, he argued that such conditions should prompt companies to halt their operations, "because mandatory suspension periods require involving not only them but also communities, municipalities, and regional governments."

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

The consortium’s manager stressed the importance of "everyone getting involved in this. When 400,000 hectares burn every five years, it has significant effects on productivity, industry supply, timber availability, and employment and development."

For this reason, he urged that "we all work together to ensure that adverse weather conditions don’t necessarily lead to forest fires—forests don’t burn on their own. Someone ignites the brush. The community must protect and help safeguard the resource."

Source:www.latribuna.cl