The national government has decided to provide emergency funding to combat forest fires that have been raging in Patagonia for over two weeks. According to official estimates, the fires have destroyed at least 45,000 hectares of forest, causing millions in damages, forcing evacuations, and destroying rural homes. The authorities have transferred 100 billion pesos to associations of volunteer firefighters battling the flames in the country's south. This measure was formalized through an official resolution following repeated appeals from the governors of the affected provinces. The decision comes in a context of growing political and social pressure, marked by the magnitude of the environmental damage, the relentless advance of the fire fronts, and the operational limitations exposed by provincial and national response systems. In several areas, the fires remained active for days with no effective control, forcing authorities to prioritize the defense of communities, roads, and critical infrastructure over the complete extinguishment of all fire points. Patagonian governors had repeatedly warned that available resources were insufficient for large-scale fires with extreme behavior, exacerbated by prolonged drought, high temperatures, and strong winds. In this context, they called on the national government for greater operational and financial support, considering that the emergency had long surpassed local response capabilities. From the ruling party, it was stated that the transfer of 100 billion pesos aims to provide a structural response to the historical funding deficit of volunteer firefighters, whose work is considered crucial in the fire management system, especially in remote regions with vast forested areas. Emergency management experts emphasized that the reinforcement arrives after the fire spread out of control for over fifteen days, consolidating a large-scale environmental damage that will take years to recover from. While firefighting efforts continue in various parts of Patagonia, the Executive now faces the challenge of sustaining the operational effort and preventing new outbreaks in an adverse climate. They also noted that the disbursement of funds is being carried out in coordination with provinces and municipalities to ensure rapid and effective allocation. However, the decision was interpreted by some political and technical sectors as a late reaction to a situation that had been deteriorating for weeks. According to official sources, the funds will be used to improve the operational capacity of fire departments, reinforce equipment, logistics, fuel, critical supplies, and direct assistance to those on the front lines of the fire fight. In parallel, the national state has approved an additional transfer of 4 billion pesos to the province of Chubut, one of the hardest-hit by the fires, to strengthen firefighting, containment, and assistance efforts in the affected areas.
