San Carlos added a new device to its wildfire prevention strategy. This is the first Municipal Forest Patrol implemented in the Ñuble Region, an initiative that began operations with the goal of strengthening the commune's surveillance and preparedness for the 2026-2027 wildfire season.
The launch was led by the mayor of San Carlos, Rubén Méndez Venegas, and included the participation of provincial and regional authorities, among them the presidential provincial delegate of Punilla, Cristóbal Jardua Campos; the regional director of CONAF Ñuble, Domingo González; the regional director of SENAPRED Ñuble, Cristian Matus, and the regional minister of Public Security, Héctor Ponce Gatica. Council members, representatives of emergency agencies, community leaders and neighbors also attended.
The patrol's main task will be to tour rural sectors and urban-rural interface areas to identify conditions that could favor the occurrence of fires. Its functions will include early detection of risk situations, identification of critical points, territorial surveillance, guidance for neighbors, recording of incidents and referral of information to the corresponding agencies.
The device will be coordinated by the Directorate of Disaster Risk Management (GRD) and the Directorate of Public Security, with support from other municipal units.
During the presentation, Mayor Rubén Méndez Venegas stated that the initiative seeks to focus on prevention and on the ability to anticipate emergencies.
"This patrol will be dedicated to educating our neighbors on how to prevent a fire, and we will also work on enforcement and sanctions," he said.
The communal authority added that the experience accumulated during the emergencies recorded in winter made it possible to strengthen municipal risk management and transfer that learning to the scenario of greater exposure to wildfires.
From the Government, the presidential provincial delegate of Punilla, Cristóbal Jardua Campos, highlighted the role that the new device will have in identifying dangerous situations in the territory.
"These patrols will be intended to identify potential sources of danger in our province," he said.
Meanwhile, CONAF valued the municipality's incorporation of additional capabilities for preventive work. The institution's regional director, Domingo González, stated that prevention requires the coordinated participation of different actors.
"We are all co-responsible for preventing wildfires and, of course, for helping to prevent their evolution and development," he said.
The regional director of SENAPRED Ñuble, Cristian Matus, also highlighted the preparedness component of the initiative, considering the start of the season of greatest exposure to this type of emergency.
The Municipal Forest Patrol will have a preventive and coordination nature. Its implementation will not replace the technical work or firefighting operations that correspond to CONAF, Firefighters and other specialized agencies.
With this device, the municipality seeks to increase preventive presence in exposed sectors, improve timely detection of risks and strengthen the bond with rural communities during a season in which surveillance and prevention take on special relevance.
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