News

Firefighters of Concepción, Prevention Network, and Arauco Plan Actions for Upcoming Wildfire Season

Sponsors

The severe wildfire situation experienced in the Northern Hemisphere, both in Europe and North America, has raised alarms in Chile. The need to coordinate and plan actions several months in advance can make a significant difference in wildfire management.

In this context, the Community Prevention Network, an organization that empowers communities to prevent wildfires with a presence in 6 regions of the country, 90 municipalities, and over 5,000 residents working on prevention, requested Firefighters of Concepción and the company Arauco to coordinate joint actions in the Biobío Region to prevent and/or mitigate fires. "As a Network, we often need the participation of Firefighters and Arauco, such as for risk assessments in residential areas or educational campaigns. With Arauco, it's essential to plan firefighting logistics. If we are coordinated, we can create synergies, enhance efforts, and prioritize," says Cristián Oñate, prevention manager of the Community Prevention Network.

In this context, the three parties signed a mutual collaboration agreement to work together in planning and preparing for the 2023-2024 wildfire season.

Felipe Ríos, Fourth Commander of the Concepción Fire Department, stated that "with the signing of mutual collaboration agreements, the Concepción Fire Department, the Community Prevention Network, and the company Arauco will work together to reduce the occurrence of wildfires in the Region this season and, in turn, be better prepared for emergencies."

This effort, he added, aims to strengthen wildfire prevention and emergency coordination. "This can be achieved if we plan and prepare now by understanding how each of us operates," he says.

Rodolfo Ceballos, Heritage Manager of Coyanmahuida Oak Landscape at Arauco, noted that "in addition to enhancing knowledge among all stakeholders, we will work on sharing information with Firefighters and the Network, and if an emergency arises, we will have the same knowledge to stay aligned. We are strengthening ties to prevent wildfires and ensure coordinated firefighting efforts," he affirmed.