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Community Fire Prevention Takes Hold in Los Ángeles

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The city of Los Ángeles in Chile adopts a successful fire prevention model, empowering its residents and significantly reducing fires and damages.

Los Ángeles, Biobío Region, has taken a step forward in the fight against fires. Since August 2023, the municipality has implemented a community prevention model that has proven effective in other regions of the country. The Community Prevention Network, with seven years of experience, has inspired this initiative, which now has 24 active prevention committees in the commune.

The methodology transferred by the Network to local emergency teams includes participatory risk assessments, the development of local plans, and risk mitigation in collaboration with other territorial stakeholders. Additionally, a monitoring platform and various practices and tools have contributed to a more than 50% reduction in fire occurrences in the communities where the Network operates.

Mayor Esteban Krause has highlighted the empowerment of residents in caring for their environment as a key factor in this process. The results are encouraging: the commune has recorded 4% fewer fires compared to the same period last season and 97% fewer hectares affected.

Collaboration with the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma) and other public institutions has been crucial in this effort. The shared experience between prevention committees and the municipality has reinforced the commitment to work systematically and long-term on fire prevention.

Myriam Mellado, Community Prevention Network Liaison Coordinator, has extended an invitation to other municipalities in the country to replicate this model, which has proven effective in the sustained reduction of fires. According to Mellado, prevention is not only possible but a tangible reality thanks to community organization and collaboration.

The Los Ángeles initiative is an example of how fire prevention can be successfully managed at the local level and how education and community participation are powerful tools in protecting the environment and people's safety.