The Maule region brought forward the implementation of the Forest Brigades for the 2026-2027 season given a complex forecast approaching with high heat waves and with a special focus on prevention for the long weekend due to Fiestas Patrias, considering the increase in outdoor activities.
The launch of this implementation was carried out by the Presidential Delegate, Juan Eduardo Prieto; the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Alejandro Muñoz; and the director of CONAF Maule, Miguel Ángel Muñoz, during a visit to the Maqu i6 brigade base, located on Cerro de la Virgen in Talca.
In this regard, the Regional Presidential Delegate, Juan Eduardo Prieto, highlighted the government's commitment to facing this season. "We are working and preparing for the summer. We are announcing in advance the first brigades installed, which demonstrates the priority and commitment of President José Antonio Kast's government. As of today we have the first helicopter deployed here in the region to make the best coordination when fighting forest fires," Prieto detailed.
He also highlighted the joint work being carried out by the government, the work of the brigade members, the municipalities and the private sector. "We reinforce the call for prevention; most forest fires are the product of the human factor. As a Government we are prepared, working, and all resources necessary to fight fires in the Maule region will be implemented," added the delegate.
For his part, the director of CONAF Maule, Miguel Ángel Muñoz, reported that the forecast suggests high heat waves in the summer months, especially between January and February.
"For that we have prepared ourselves with five aircraft, five planes, plus ground equipment such as skidders and water tanker trucks. Today our first brigade is already formed and we have four brigades being formed. We have brought forward the process of installing our brigades as a preventive measure to begin the forest fire season and mainly to work on mitigation issues," he assured.
The thirty communes of the region are prioritized for this season in coordinated work with the municipalities. "We have done very thorough work on prevention plans where the mitigation measures are located in order to work jointly with the municipality. We urge the municipalities to become part of this prevention process, also working with the community," stated the director of CONAF Maule.
Likewise, he reported that there is preventive work with the creation of firebreaks that so far has extended to 80 kilometers and is expected to double through the Employment Program, in which people from different communes will work on maintenance, weed clearing and tree planting.
For his part, David Vasquez, chief of Brigade Maqui 6, made a call for prevention and reported that the brigade members are prepared for the season. "Our mission is to train and provide tools to the brigade members so that they can fight the forest fires that are approaching. They also have training sessions and motivational and safety talks," he said.
Meanwhile, the Regional Minister of Agriculture of Maule, Alejandro Muñoz, recalled that fires have a negative impact on the environment and on production: on beekeeping, wildlife, and they can also affect the normal functioning of crops. For this reason he reiterated the call to collaborate: "to urge civil society so that we are all prepared, that we have this concept of prevention installed in all our rural communes and that we understand that this is an issue that concerns us all."
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