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Chile and California Strengthen International Cooperation to Tackle Forest Fires

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The National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) and California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) launched the second Chile-California mission on forest fire response, prevention, and emergency management, an initiative aimed at deepening technical cooperation and the exchange of experiences between both territories.

The visit, organized by the Chile-California Council in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Conaf, will take place from October 27 to 30 in the Metropolitan and Biobío regions. The program includes strategic meetings, technical seminars, and field visits, with the goal of strengthening national capabilities in prevention, fire use, applied technology, and multisectoral coordination.

"California and Chile share many similarities. This support, which spans over 15 years of cooperation, helps us better prepare for the summer and strengthen our emergency response capacity," emphasized Undersecretary of the Interior, Víctor Ramos Muñoz.

Meanwhile, Conaf's Executive Director, Rodrigo Illesca Rojas, stated that the collaboration with CAL FIRE "aims to give new impetus to the incorporation of innovative technologies, which we hope will be reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding we will soon sign, reinforcing the protection of people, forests, and their assets."

From the United States, Helen López, CAL FIRE Deputy Director of Tribal Affairs, emphasized that the relationship between both institutions "has allowed for the exchange of practices and learnings for over a decade. In this mission, we brought technology specialists to improve early detection and timely response to fires, preventing them from becoming catastrophes."

Undersecretary of Agriculture, Alan Espinoza Ortiz, highlighted that this mission "allows us to learn from California's experience and apply new technological tools for the prevention and control of forest fires," while Tatiana Molina, Co-Chair of the Chile-California Council, stressed that "sharing knowledge and science is key to jointly facing the challenges of climate change."

Technical visit and international cooperation

During the inaugural session, an institutional meeting was held between Conaf and CAL FIRE to address topics such as prescribed burn planning and public-private coordination in risk mitigation, alongside representatives from SENAPRED and electric companies.

One of the main milestones of this mission will be the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will formalize bilateral cooperation in areas such as prevention, training, post-fire restoration, and strengthening community resilience.

The CAL FIRE delegation is composed of distinguished professionals, including Daniel Berlant, Chief of the California Fire Service; Nathan Barcklay, Deputy Director of Cooperative Protection; Helen López, Deputy Director of Tribal Affairs; and Chris Anthony, Wildfire Technology Advisor and academic at the University of California, San Diego.

Activities will continue with an international conference on fire management policies and technologies, a technical visit to the CMPC fire center in Los Ángeles, and a multisectoral roundtable in Concepción, bringing together representatives from the public, private, academic, and community sectors.

With this second mission, Conaf reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation and the comprehensive management of forest fire risk, promoting the development of innovative tools to protect the country's ecosystems and communities.