The governor of Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck, signed a decree today declaring a state of emergency due to fires across the entire province for one year. This will enable authorities to deploy prevention operations more effectively. Consequently, in the context of an extreme risk of forest fires, with the imminent arrival of the summer season, it is prohibited to make open fires, and severe fines will be imposed on those who fail to comply with this measure. It also obliges concessionaires of beaches, campsites, tourist complexes, rural establishments, and recreational properties to take extreme prevention and surveillance measures. Likewise, it orders the immediate initiation of criminal and legal actions against those who cause fires, whether by negligence or intentionally. The text emphasizes that most fires are of human origin and that these actions cause serious environmental, economic, and social damage. The declaration of emergency, through decree 1104/25, activates special administrative and financial mechanisms that allow the provincial state to respond more quickly, reinforce prevention, and sustain operations during the most dangerous months. Indeed, the combination of extreme climatic factors, such as high temperatures, strong winds, scarce rainfall, and dry vegetation, coupled with a greater presence of people in sensitive areas during spring and summer, creates a critical scenario. To these risks are added recent precedents: fires that have affected human lives, infrastructure, productive activities, and natural areas in Río Negro and neighboring provinces.
