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Detainees for Crimes Associated with Forest Fires Total 55

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During the year 2025, 55 people have been detained for crimes associated with forest fires, such as: arson, illegal burning, negligent use of fire, use of tools that generate sparks, among others. These apprehensions have been registered mainly in the communes of San Carlos, Chillán Viejo, Yungay, Quirihue, and San Nicolás.

Work of Carabineros

The acting Zone Chief of Carabineros, Colonel Diego Salas, explained that the institution is carrying out multidisciplinary work with its teams to address the prevention of forest fires, as well as emergencies and the investigation of these incidents.

"This work is being executed in three areas: preventive and educational, operational, and the pursuit of acts constituting crimes. And this is executed through the Forest Patrol, specialized and focused on this matter, as well as the Micc Patrols, Mixed Patrols, territorial teams, and subsequently, by mandate of the Public Prosecutor's Office, with the experts from the Criminalistics Section, Labocar," he stated.

The Forest Patrol and the other teams have the mission of executing an educational intervention in the community, carrying out a preventive and informative deployment in the various communities existing in the highest-risk areas, promoting knowledge of the regulations and resolutions issued by Conaf regarding the use of fire.

"Secondly, these teams, especially through the Forest Patrol, strengthen control and oversight in risk areas, based on the guidelines established by Conaf and Senapred, operating in the communes and points with the highest incidence of fires to inspect and control those who may be carrying out a negligent action. Also, in this second stage, the Forest Patrol has the mission of detecting risk factors and promoting their eradication, identifying conditions that represent a risk for the start and spread of fires, in order to coordinate preventive actions with the corresponding organizations, for example, creating firebreaks, cleaning up micro-dumps, cutting weeds and shrubs, etc.," indicated Colonel Salas.

Finally, they must activate the protocol upon verifying the occurrence of a forest fire, immediately notifying Conaf personnel, Firefighters, and Carabineros of the sector to act as quickly as possible. "The focus is to help the affected people in their evacuation and collaborate in everything necessary so that the other institutions intervening in the emergency act as quickly as possible and can contain and control the fire," he said.

Likewise, in the third stage, the Labocar Ñuble team will be available to carry out the investigations that the Public Prosecutor's Office determines for each case, collecting evidence that allows the identification of the perpetrators and their detention by presenting the corresponding means of proof.

PDI Task Force

For its part, the PDI forest fire task force of Ñuble began its functions this new season, comprised of a specialized team of investigative officers who to date already have eight investigations in progress.

The group's head, Commissioner Ernesto Gaete Salgado, indicated that "the causes of these incidents are mainly related to fires that occurred on private properties, several of them associated with agricultural work that allegedly originated fire outbreaks, in addition to accidental events that likewise ended up generating fire events and others, which according to our investigations could be intentional, which is why scientific work is being done on the means of proof."

The commissioner added that it is "important to highlight that the work carried out by this task force has the equipment and professional technical personnel such as the evidence collectors from our regional Criminalistics Laboratory and also with the collaboration, if required, of the Concepción Environmental Crimes Investigative Brigade and experts from the Ecology and Environment Section of the Central Lacrim."

In this way and with additional specialized institutional personnel, as support for the requirements of this summer season, "investigative work is complemented if necessary, thus strengthening operational capacity in the event of eventual forest emergencies, with the purpose of scientifically determining the origin, cause, and eventual responsible parties of the forest fires affecting the region," detailed Gaete.

Source:La Discusión