Texas Delegation Visits Chile for Wildfire Experience Exchange

As part of a cooperation agreement between the State of Texas (U.S.) and Chile’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, a delegation from the U.S. Army (Texas National Guard) and the Texas Forest Service is in the country to learn and share experiences in wildfire management. The week-long visit included learning about CONAF’s coordination model and aims to strengthen collaboration between both nations in natural disaster response.

During their visit to CONAF’s National Coordination Center, the U.S. delegation learned about Chile’s emergency response model, noting the similarities between both systems. They also visited the Roble-4 brigade base in the Metropolitan Region, where they observed the PUMA (Mobile Command Post), equipped with technology like Starlink, screens, and climate control systems, and were introduced to the set of tools used to clear vegetation at different levels.

Rossana Tapia, a professional at CONAF’s National Wildfire Coordination Center, appreciated the visitors’ interest in deeply understanding the Chilean system’s operations. “We presented how our national center functions. They were struck by how similarly we operate compared to the U.S. Forest Service, particularly in terms of regional divisions and nationally deployed resources,” she explained.

From the U.S. delegation, officer Darien de la Torre, a pilot with the Texas National Guard, stated that their main interest is learning how Chile, through CONAF, organizes and manages wildfire information, as well as the response methods it employs. “Every year, we face a critical wildfire season in Texas. This visit allows us to share our experiences and gather insights from Chile’s work,” he noted.

Captain Álvaro Jara from the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s (EMCO) Military Disaster Management Department explained that this initiative stems from a binational understanding facilitated by the Texas National Guard and the state’s Army, aimed at exchanging knowledge in wildfire prevention, combat, and emergency coordination. “We aim to showcase all our capabilities and how we coordinate our resources to address various emergencies, particularly wildfires,” he said.

Both countries recognize the importance of these ties, especially in light of the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires.