“Fires are not something you only fight once they exist. They must be addressed beforehand through planning, infrastructure and forecasting,” said Andrés Nápoli, director of FARN. “All the prevention work that’s so important to do year-round has essentially been abandoned.”

Los Alerces National Park in Argentina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is ablaze. As of Monday, the flames are still spreading and have already burned 45,000 hectares (174 square miles) of forest in the last month and a half– and this is only the beginning of Argentina’s fire season. 

The country’s radical libertarian president, Javier Milei, has slashed spending on programs and agencies that combat fires and enact prevention projects to stop flames from igniting in the first place. Milei cut spending on the National Fire Management Service by 80% in 2024 compared to 2023. According to FARN, “the service faces another 71% reduction in funds this year.” The consequences of his decisions are now ignited.