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Ten Red Alerts and Three Arrests for Forest Fires in Biobío This Summer

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Three people have been arrested for causing forest fires in the province of Biobío, one of whom is already in preventive prison for emergencies that occurred this summer.

The latest arrest involves a man who, last Sunday, allegedly used a metal grinder amid adverse weather conditions in the commune of Los Ángeles, sparking a fire that escalated into a disaster, prompting Senapred to declare a red alert.

It is worth recalling that on February 12, an adult had been apprehended for a similar action using the same tool, where sparks ignited a fire that burned a small area in the provincial capital.

Apart from these potentially negligent behaviors, the most severe case this season involved a man held in preventive prison, accused of causing three forest fire outbreaks in the commune of Quilleco.

THE ALERTS

This summer, the province of Biobío has experienced ten red alerts across various communes, according to information obtained from CONAF.

The institution's analysis shows that nationally, 5,159 fires have been recorded, marking a four percent increase compared to the previous season.

Meanwhile, in the Biobío region, there has been a 19 percent decrease in fire incidents, along with a 24 percent reduction in the area affected by flames.

In the province of Biobío, favorable figures in this regard were highlighted by the provincial head of CONAF, Juan Carlos Bascur.

The official stated, "Here in the province of Biobío, we also have positive numbers. Although they are modest, we have a four percent decrease in incidents, but with a 44 percent reduction in vegetation damage."

"This means that, so far, our prevention and response strategies have yielded results. What concerns us is that while these fires here haven’t affected large areas, the line between a small fire and a major one is very thin—it’s highly susceptible. A small fire can quickly turn into a large-scale disaster. That’s why we urge continued collaboration in prevention efforts with all organizations working on this issue, and we also invite society and citizens to join us," he emphasized.

Juan Carlos Bascur mentioned, "We cannot do prevention work alone, so we call for extreme safety measures when working with spark-producing tools, when smoking—do not discard cigarette butts, especially in rural areas with dry grass—and to keep the surroundings of our homes clear of vegetation, dry grass, and any activity that poses a risk or could trigger a forest fire."

The provincial head of CONAF highlighted that, "We believe the positive results are also due to the joint and coordinated work with all response organizations, including forestry companies, firefighters, and municipalities. We also credit the 'single-strike' firefighting strategy for its effectiveness."

Finally, he expressed hope to maintain these positive figures at the provincial and regional levels and ideally reverse "the negative trend at the national level. There’s still fire season ahead, so we reiterate that the use of fire for vegetation waste disposal remains restricted."

Source:La Tribuna