Post-Emergency Plan: The Social and Environmental Challenges After the Fires in Concepción and Penco

Following the summer emergency in Biobío, recovery in Penco and Concepción has focused on restoring basic services, stabilizing soils before winter, protecting native species, and strengthening community capacities that, in a crisis, can make a difference.

In this scenario, various actions promoted by ARAUCO together with authorities, communities, and territorial organizations combine prevention, restoration, and long-term solutions.

Preparing for Winter

In Penco, the challenge has been to prevent winter rains from opening a second emergency on the fire's footprints. After the fires, slopes and ravines were left without vegetation cover, which favors erosion and sediment runoff.

In the Dichoco property, adjacent to urbanized areas, this risk is addressed with preventive measures executed by ARAUCO in coordination with the municipality. "We do this surgically: we choose very critical locations before winter arrives," explained Guillermo Olmedo.

The actions include dikes and containment structures to reduce runoff speed and retain sediments, in addition to hydroseeding in the most exposed sectors. The mayor of Penco, Rodrigo Vera, valued the approach: "Any short-term mitigation measure, thinking about winter, will always be well received."

In parallel, in the Parque Para Penco, it is planned to expand the natural corridor through restoration with native forest. For Vera, this space should be consolidated as "a green lung for the commune."

Olmedo emphasized that the objective is twofold: to conserve species such as the queule and pitao, along with the local ecosystem, and to consolidate a space for recreation, education, and sports for the communities of Penco and Lirquén. The strategy includes restoration, infrastructure recovery, and work with local organizations, so that environmental recovery also translates into protection for people.

Ensuring the Essentials

Another front is located in El Pino, alongside the route between Concepción and Cabrero, where the focus is on the Rural Sanitary Service (SSR) El Pino 3. The initiative seeks to restore infrastructure damaged by the fire and ensure a more stable water supply.

The work is articulated based on a survey by the Directorate of Hydraulic Works (DOH), which identified affected systems. With that basis, a working group was formed, led by the DOH and including the Ministry of the Interior, the Regional Government, the community, and ARAUCO.

The objective has been not only to respond during the emergency but also to advance a replacement with a long-term perspective. According to what was addressed, the work contemplates two phases: ensuring supply after the emergency and, in parallel, replacing the system for a stable solution.

At the community level, Margarita Castro, president of SSR El Pino 3, summarized the urgency: "The main thing for a family is a roof and water."

A Prepared Community

In Las Mercedes, a sector near Route 146, the fire advanced towards homes but found a better-prepared community. Several neighbors knew what to do: secure water, wet the perimeter, coordinate, and stay calm.

The difference was not chance, but years of work reinforced by the Community Prevention Network, ARAUCO, and the Desafío Agua program. "Today we are no longer alone," noted Liliana Valenzuela.

That learning was consolidated with operational meetings, identification of critical points, contact lists, and drills. Through Desafío Agua, several families implemented storage systems that proved key. "I was able to water part of the area around my house," explained Bernarda Muñoz. Ricardo Almonacid added: "Thanks to the water and the training, we were able to defend our sector." Liliana added another key: "Staying calm, and that is learned."

Added to this was prioritized infrastructure, such as the widening of the road, which facilitated access for emergency vehicles and acted as a barrier. Thus, the community faced an emergency similar to that of previous years, but with better tools.

Comprehensive Response

The cases of Las Mercedes, Penco, and El Pino show that post-fire recovery requires acting on several levels simultaneously. Preparing communities, stabilizing soils, restoring ecosystems, reactivating social spaces, and replacing water infrastructure are not separate tasks, but part of the same response.

The report in theAcoforag Magazine