Between May 1 and June 30 of this year, Conaf recorded 135 wildfires, a figure compared to the 43 fires detected in the same period of the 2024-2025 season. The affected area during this period reached 1,257.13 hectares, representing an 8% decrease compared to the 1,359.29 hectares burned in the previous period.
The institution highlighted that, despite this being the time of year with the lowest usual occurrence of wildfires, and therefore with reduced firefighting resources, it has been possible to maintain a timely and effective deployment thanks to the ongoing joint work with public and private entities involved in emergency management, which has enabled a rapid response to each new outbreak, regardless of the season.
A demonstration of this response capacity was evident over the past weekend, when three significant wildfires were recorded: one in Alhué, Metropolitan Region (approx. 1 ha); another in Pichilemu, O’Higgins Region (approx. 55 ha); and a third in Los Vilos, Coquimbo Region (approx. 550 ha).
None of these fires compromised critical infrastructure or posed a direct threat to people. In the Alhué and Pichilemu fires, the rapid mobilization of ground machinery, brigades, and specialized technical personnel allowed for timely containment of their spread, with both now practically extinguished. In the case of Los Vilos, due to the complexity of the terrain and access conditions, the fire remains active and its behavior is being continuously assessed to determine the most appropriate firefighting strategy and the potential use of additional resources. In this incident, only aerial firefighting is being conducted.
Conaf especially valued the coordinated response of its technical staff, firefighters, and companies, whose willingness and commitment, even outside the peak alert season, have been key to containing the impact of this unusual increase in fires and reinforcing confidence in the operational capacity of the national firefighting system.
Given this scenario of low rainfall, the Corporation reiterates its call to the entire community to take extreme preventive measures: avoid using fire outdoors and, in the case of controlled burns, strictly comply with current regulations to prevent fire spread. Likewise, it urges reporting any fire outbreak immediately by calling 130 or Carabineros de Chile, in order to continue reducing risks during this exceptional winter season.
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