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Mulchén Doubles Neighborhood Committees in Its Community Prevention Network to Prevent Rural Fires

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• The first prevention committee in the commune emerged in 2018. However, just this year, the number increased from 5 to 10 due to neighbors' interest in organizing ahead of the upcoming wildfire season.

As the second half of the year begins and with summer—the peak season for rural fires—just months away, various organizations are already preparing to combat and prevent these disasters. The Community Prevention Network, which operates year-round, has encouraged communities to form committees to enable coordinated prevention efforts.

This year, the commune of Mulchén in the Bío Bío region doubled the number of committees, adding 5 new ones to the existing 5. As a result, committees in the Bilbao, Los Canelos Alto, Aurora de Enero Alto, Pilguén, Alhuelemu, Las Cachañas, Monteverde, Aurora de Enero Bajo, El Cisne, and Pile sectors will be better prepared for the upcoming season.

Soraya Noriega, a member of the new "Aurora de Enero" Committee in Mulchén, stated, "Our expectation is to have a safer place to live. We want to have our own small brigade and enough tools to provide support."

"Last season, young people worked day and night without the experience or training to save houses. That’s why we want to prevent and be prepared," emphasized the neighbor.

The committee, along with Carabineros (Chilean police), the Community Prevention Network, and CMPC’s community relations team, conducted a visit to the community and identified four areas where interface clearing work is needed, both on roads and around homes. On-site guidance was also provided for fuel management.

Regarding this, Karin Pacheco, Head of Community Relations at CMPC in Mulchén, noted that for the company, "what matters is working with neighbors year-round, as they are the first line of defense against rural fires. They have shown great commitment, understanding that prevention is always better than cure."

In the context of the 2017 wildfires, the Community Prevention Network emerged—an initiative spanning from the O’Higgins to Los Ríos regions. It aims to develop urban-rural community committees capable of preventing forest fires through a pioneering Chilean model that brings together municipalities, companies, public entities, social organizations, and local residents.

It is worth noting that the Community Prevention Network is promoted by the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma) and its partner organizations as a pioneering initiative, which will face another test in the coming months.

So far, the forestry company CMPC has supported 126 committees across the country, providing various resources and expertise for the community, based on the premise that they are the first barrier of prevention against disasters—and their initial actions will make the difference in emergencies.