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"Red Button" in Antuco and Forest Fires in Biobío, Maule, and La Araucanía Mark This Weekend

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Among the preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the Biobío province, Carabineros from the Polcura and Trupán checkpoints led a preventive campaign in the commune of Tucapel. A total of six emergencies mobilized ground and helicopter brigades from CMPC. Of these incidents, two occurred in the communes of Los Ángeles and Quilleco.

During this Saturday, due to adverse weather conditions, the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) declared a "Red Button" status for the city of Antuco.

This designation meant a significant increase in the risk of ignition and spread of forest fires in this mountainous commune of the Biobío province.

As a result, the National Disaster Prevention and Response System (SINAPRED) intensified prevention and monitoring activities in this area, while CONAF reminded that under these conditions, the municipality had to implement a series of actions to mitigate risks.

These included preventive patrols, as well as other preventive actions such as activating communal emergency plans, monitoring high-risk areas, and awareness campaigns aimed at the community.

PREVENTION MEASURES

Given the current scenario of high temperatures, CONAF urged the community to take extreme precautions and avoid risky behaviors that could trigger forest fires, such as:

* Do not carry out agricultural or waste burning.

* Avoid using tools that generate sparks in areas with dry vegetation.

* Do not throw cigarette butts or lit matches in rural or wooded areas.

Similarly, they emphasized that the collaboration of citizens and municipal teams is essential to prevent fires and protect our natural environment. Upon any sign of fire, CONAF requested immediate reporting to the relevant authorities.

FIRE OUTBREAKS IN THE PROVINCE

In this context, CMPC reported that 143 of its firefighters had to combat six fires recorded in the Maule, Biobío, and La Araucanía regions.

These were six incidents registered in the communes of San Javier and Río Claro in Maule, Los Ángeles and Quilleco in Biobío, and Collipulli and Carahue in La Araucanía.

Additionally, the company reported that—during this Sunday—their teams had to face one more fire compared to Saturday.

In the case of the Biobío Province, the emergencies began when—after 11:00 AM—firefighters had to respond to incidents in the communes of Los Ángeles and Quilleco.

In the provincial capital of Biobío, the fire had to be fought with the support of three ground brigades, while in the emergency in Quilleco, the work of a coordination helicopter, a Super Puma helicopter, a medium helicopter, three tanker planes, two ground brigades, and one helitransported brigade was required. Both fires were controlled.

Later, attention shifted to the Maule region, where average maximum temperatures exceeded 30 degrees. A ground brigade was dispatched to Río Claro, while in San Javier, a mechanized brigade, a tanker plane, two ground brigades, a helitransported brigade, and a medium helicopter worked. Both incidents were also contained.

Finally, by late afternoon, efforts focused on the Araucanía region, where a fire in the Parcela El Progreso sector in Collipulli was controlled using a coordination plane, three tanker planes, and three ground brigades. Meanwhile, as of this edition's closing, work continued to control and extinguish the fire at Fundo El Cometa in Carahue, where two ground brigades were operating.

Thus, in this operation, CMPC has deployed 143 firefighters so far to address the various emergencies.

PREVENTIVE CAMPAIGNS

As part of forest fire prevention efforts, Carabineros from the Polcura and Trupán checkpoints conducted vehicle checks at kilometer 20 of Route Q-965 in the Tucapel commune.

There, they provided drivers with various preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the area.

Source:La Tribuna