The wildfires in Patagonia have burned over 80 square miles so far this year, and have become an annual occurrence fueled by climate change. FARN’S research assistant and economist, Matías Cena Tebucq, commented on how fire management has been cut repeatedly, with a 70% reduction since 2023 when President Milei took office.

Unfortunately, there are only 400 firefighters dedicated to assessing, alerting, and eventually fighting the fires in the Patagonias. An area that needs at least 700 to prevent these large-scale blazes. Additionally, while some initial sparks were caused by lightning, others are under investigation for potential foul play.