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Area Affected by Forest Fires in Biobío Province Increased by 30%

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The 2024-2025 forest fire season in Biobío Province has shown a slight decrease in the total number of incidents compared to the previous period, though with a significant increase in the affected area.

According to data provided by the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) to Diario La Tribuna, 491 fires have been recorded in the province to date, representing a 3% decrease compared to the 505 incidents in the 2023-2024 season. Despite this reduction, some communes experienced an increase in the number of incidents.

DETAIL BY COMMUNE

The figures show that in communes such as Cabrero (38 fires, a 6% increase from the previous period); Quilaco (8 fires, a 30% rise); and Yumbel (54 fires, a 38% increase), the occurrence of fires has gone up.

Conversely, in other localities such as Alto Biobío (8 fires, a 20% decrease); San Rosendo (11 fires, a 39% drop); Nacimiento (30 fires, a 21% decline); and Los Ángeles (145 fires, -21%), a considerable reduction has been observed.

AFFECTED AREA

Regarding the affected area, Conaf's data shows an upward trend, further increased by the fires of the last two weeks.

During the 2024-2025 season, 4,744.61 hectares have been affected in Biobío Province, representing a 30% increase compared to the 3,636.64 hectares burned the previous year.

In some communes, the reduction has been significant. In Alto Biobío, for example, the affected area fell by 92%, dropping from 475.81 hectares in the previous season to just 36.13 in the current period. In Santa Bárbara, the decrease was 68%, with 721.92 hectares affected compared to 2,235.62 last year.

However, some communes have experienced significant increases in burned area. In Mulchén, the affected area rose by 375%, from 456.77 hectares last year to 2,170.65 in the current season. In Quilleco, the increase was 79%, with 46.29 hectares affected compared to 25.91 in the previous period. Negrete and Nacimiento also saw increases of 65% and 3,886%, respectively.

In Los Ángeles, the area affected by forest fires increased by 13%, reflecting the spread of incidents in the capital of Biobío Province.

REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF CONAF ANALYZES THE DATA

The regional director of Conaf, Esteban Krause, analyzed the data recorded this season, highlighting efforts to reduce the occurrence and damage in the province, though he acknowledged he would have preferred better numbers. He also called on the community to focus on prevention:

"This season, efforts have been made to reduce the occurrence of forest fires and minimize the affected area. Biobío Province, compared to the other two in the region (Arauco and Concepción), has the highest number of incidents and affected area, which increases our focus on prevention."

"Forest fires in our country are almost exclusively caused by humans, and in that regard, it is important to emphasize that the community plays a key role in prevention—being prepared to identify risk zones and take preventive measures."

"We have made our best efforts, and the data reflects that. We would have liked the numbers to be even more different from past seasons, but we believe our firefighting strategy and prevention approach can yield good results in the medium term."

Source:La Tribuna