Puerto Varas Fortifies Against Fires: Firebreaks Initiated for Safety

In response to concerns from residents of the Alto Esperanza community, the Municipality of Puerto Varas and the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) have begun constructing firebreaks in the northern sector of the commune.

This preventive measure primarily aims to protect homes and reduce the risk of wildfire spread, a latent threat due to the high vegetation load in the surrounding areas.

Felipe Torra, from the municipality's Risk and Disaster Management Department, highlighted that the initiative arose from a direct request from the community, concerned about the proximity of vegetation to their homes. The collaboration between the Neighborhood Council, CONAF, and the municipality has allowed for risk assessment and the definition of concrete actions to mitigate a potential fire.

The work, already underway, will continue for as long as necessary, according to CONAF's technical planning and ground conditions. Furthermore, the cooperation of adjacent landowners has been requested to access and carry out the preventive work.

Álvaro Pérez, head of Forest Fire Control for CONAF in the Los Lagos Region, emphasized the preventive nature of the intervention and stated that heavy machinery is currently being used to construct the firebreaks, which is essential to prevent fire from spreading towards homes in case of a wildfire.

The municipality has reiterated its call for cooperation from the community and landowners, underlining the importance of these preventive actions to reduce risks during the season of highest wildfire occurrence.