Published on February 3, 2026
Wildfires are raging in Argentina’s Patagonia region, which has more than 450sq km (175sq mi) of native forests, including parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Los Alceres National Park.
Thousands of people have been evacuated as flames spread across Chabut province, threatening ancient alder trees that can live for more than 3,600 years.
The crisis has led to criticism of President Javier Maile’s aggressive austerity policies.
His administration’s “chainsaw” of spending cuts slashed the National Fire Management Service’s budget by 71 percent from last year, according to the environmental group FARN.
“These fires are completely predictable,” FARN economist Ariel Slipak said, suggesting that Miley has prioritized fiscal balance “at all costs” over emergency preparedness.
The area burned has surpassed the total loss of 325 sq km (125 sq mi) from last summer’s fire season. As firefighters battle strong winds and high temperatures, Miley declared a state of emergency on Thursday, allocating about $69m for firefighting efforts.
Environmental advocates have pointed to climate change as a growing factor, according to Greenpeace’s Hernan Giardini: “It is politically irresponsible to continue to deny or underestimate the effects of climate change, which science and the environmental movement have long warned will pay for forests and homes.”
Miley, who has called climate change a “socialist lie” and is considering withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, is facing increasing pressure as the fires have now ravaged an area twice the size of Buenos Aires.