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Government Issues Preventive Emergency Decree for 13 Regions of the Country in Case of Fires

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The Government is preparing for what could be a summer season with a high occurrence of fires.

In mid-August, and for the first time with such advance notice, it published in the Official Gazette the Exempt Decree No. 1367, declaring a Preventive Emergency for 13 regions of the country from Atacama to Magallanes. This is due to the increased risk of wildfires between October 2023 and May 2024.

According to the Conaf Wildfire Analysis Report for the 2023-2024 Season, "from October to December, there will be a higher probability of fires in the central zone of the country due to the intensity of live and dead fuels and wind conditions. In the following months (January to May 2024), these conditions will prevail across the entire national territory due to lower rainfall in the southern part of the country, increasing the likelihood of fire scenarios in Patagonia," states the Preventive Emergency Decree.

The 13 regions that will face this scenario are Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Santiago Metropolitan, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, Araucanía, Los Ríos, Los Lagos, Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, and Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica.

Advancing Preparation

Álvaro Hormazábal, National Director of Senapred, stated that the decree, issued by order of President Gabriel Boric, is of utmost importance for stakeholders in the territory, as it "allows the preparation phase to be advanced. With this technical information from Conaf, public services can streamline all administrative aspects of Decree No. 104 and conduct direct tenders for all institutions, enabling the advance deployment of resources," he said.

For those working with communities, such as the Community Prevention Network, this decree is a clear sign of lessons learned from the catastrophe experienced in February 2023, as it speeds up decision-making in the territories and the effective response to emergencies faced by residents during large-scale fires. "This decree allows the release of resources as if we were in a disaster zone. Now, the key is coordination and synergies among all stakeholders in the territory," said Myriam Mellado, Coordinator of the Community Prevention Network, an entity present in 6 regions of the country working with over 5,000 residents on prevention.

Efficient Use of Resources

For Corma, it is very important that this decree translatesinto concrete, direct, and operational actions. This is because it is now possible to anticipate with considerable time and accuracy the days when extreme weather conditions will occur. "It is crucial not only to advance resources but also to have them available before they are needed. Preventive meteorological alerts are a major necessity and part of the lessons learned from the previous season. This means deploying all human and material resources 48 hours before the forecasted events to control fires quickly, decisively, and effectively," said Ramón Figueroa, President of Corma's Prevention and Protection Department.

For the expert, dissuasive and combat measures must be taken to ensure effectiveness and decisiveness in emergencies. "This involves saturating the territories with patrols from both private and public actors; maintaining constant firefighting efforts; and integrating Firefighters into the Conaf and Corma companies' teams as another member of the Joint Command, ensuring the most coordinated and effective work possible. It is essential not only to increase detection and combat resources but also to use them efficiently and effectively," he asserted.