Fires in Patagonia: Historic justice as a firebreak
In these times, we are witnessing a profound systemic crisis defined by the rise of the far right, the prevalence of hate speech, the collapse of multilateralism and a geostrategic scramble for energy resources that is constantly degrading the natural environment. In this context, countries’ promises of progress and well-being have transformed into a drive for production and consumption that defies planetary limits. The consequences of climate change have thus ceased to be perceived as a distant problem, becoming instead a daily emergency. For many, this results in the erosion of the conditions that make our planet habitable; in short: home is becoming an increasingly hostile place for life.
This hostility is not an isolated phenomenon, but a symptom of a metabolic rift between society and nature. Contemporary authors define this era as the ‘Capitalocene’, where the accumulation of capital not only exploits labour but also depletes the biological foundations of existence (Moore, J. 2015). In this context, the climate crisis acts as a multiplier of inequalities: whilst centres of power, many in the so-called Global North, discuss market-based technological solutions, peripheral territories, mostly in the Global South, suffer the direct brunt of atmospheric destabilisation (IPCC, 2021).
In this context, the fires ravaging Argentine Patagonia are far from being random events. They are, rather, the expression of a crisis in which climate change, the model of land use and the withdrawal of state protection converge in a devastating manner.
The region is undergoing a profound transformation, marked by new climatic patterns and natural phenomena that are altering biodiversity. According to the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), rainfall in the high mountain ranges has fallen by between 30% and 40% (Diaz B., 2023). With increasingly extreme temperatures and early, prolonged heatwaves, the Andean forests have become areas of maximum vulnerability.
Ecological science warns that this water deficit not only facilitates ignition but also impairs the native forest’s capacity for recovery. When these forests burn, it is not just timber that is lost; a vital ecosystem service of water regulation is lost (Laclau P., Vorraber L., Furlan N., Letourneau F., 2023). A healthy forest acts like a sponge, retaining rainwater and slowly releasing it into the valleys; a burnt forest, on the other hand, leaves the soil exposed to erosion, causing landslides and desertification of the land, which condemns local communities to future drinking water shortages.
Beyond the usual technicalities, it is essential to understand that the driving force behind this imbalance lies in the indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels, whose greenhouse gas emissions have disrupted the region’s thermal cycles. However, the climate does not act alone; it is exacerbated by drastic changes in land use. Deforestation, the fragmentation of the ecosystem for property development or agricultural purposes, and the replacement of native forest with plantations of fast-growing exotic pine trees eliminate natural fire barriers, transforming what was once a resilient system into an environmental powder keg.
It is therefore necessary to mention the economic dimension of these fires. On the one hand, in Argentina, particularly in the Andean region, the property market has historically exerted pressure on areas protected by the Law on the Environmental Protection of Native Forests, which preserves forests and classifies them according to their conservation status, sets limits on deforestation, and takes into account the interests of indigenous communities.
On the other hand, whilst the Fire Management Act has not been directly amended by the Argentine state, the current government has indeed formalised a proposal through the Council of May to amend it. The proposal seeks to repeal the amendments introduced in 2020 and reinstate the original Article 22 bis of Law 27,353. These amendments had stipulated that, in the event of a fire on land containing native forest, the land use and purpose prior to the incident must be strictly maintained, in accordance with its local conservation category. Should this reform go ahead, the 30- and 60-year restriction periods (depending on the type of vegetation cover) currently imposed on affected areas for agricultural activities, land subdivision, plot development or transfers of ownership would be removed. The removal of these specific prohibition periods could reduce the time-related barriers to the conversion of degraded land, facilitating its eventual reclassification for tourism developments or private property projects. This dynamic of post-fire land valuation constitutes a critical factor in the management of forest ecosystems. In practical terms, fire can act as a mechanism of accelerated degradation that compromises the biological integrity of the forest, indirectly facilitating challenges to its legal protection.
But the spread of fire not only represents an ecological tragedy of great magnitude, but also forms part of the systematic violation of the human rights of indigenous communities who have ancestrally inhabited territories that have historically been in dispute. According to records from Argentina’s Ministry of the Environment, National Parks, and provincial firefighting agencies in Chubut and Río Negro, fires have consumed more than 200,000 hectares over the past 10 years. This fact highlights a crisis of underfunding of public prevention policies by the national government. For the Mapuche and Tehuelche peoples, the forest is not merely a resource; it is the physical foundation of their identity, spirituality and tradition. When the land burns, so too does the access to a dignified life, the right to communal possession and ownership of the lands they have traditionally occupied, and the possibility of human development in accordance with their worldviews—rights enshrined both in Article 75, paragraph 15, of the Argentine National Constitution and in Convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), ratified by Argentina.
From an indigenous perspective, the damage goes beyond the material. The concept of Ixofillmogen – which can be translated into English as ‘all forms of life without exception’ – explains that all forms of life are interconnected and that human beings are not owners, but part of the balance. Contrary to the narrative of criminalisation that has proliferated, various international studies show that territories managed by indigenous peoples have lower rates of deforestation and wildfires than areas protected by the state. Their accumulated knowledge of wind cycles, humidity and the behaviour of plant species is a preventive tool that the state systematically ignores due to racial prejudice.
The problem is exacerbated in a context where certain official discourses, rather than focusing on funding cuts for fire management or debates on potential amendments to the Land Law, have emphasised interpretations that criminalise and link fires to indigenous communities through the ‘internal enemy’ narrative.
Furthermore, whilst the State is retreating from its role as a guarantor of rights—suppressing early warning reports and undermining the working conditions of fire brigade members—it is facilitating the advance of multinational capital and tourism ventures onto the land, in a country where it is currently estimated that 5% of the land area belongs to foreign capital.
In this regard, the weakening of environmental institutions can hardly be understood as an isolated event, but rather appears to be linked to certain public policy orientations. The National Fire Management Service (SNMF) has suffered budget cuts that directly affect its operational capacity on the ground. This withdrawal of the state not only undermines the effectiveness of firefighting efforts but also jeopardises the safety of workers, who frequently carry out their duties under temporary employment contracts and without adequate risk coverage.
Finally, it is correct to state that the climate crisis, with extreme droughts and rising temperatures, acts as a multiplier of the catastrophe. The replacement of native species with pine monocultures—which are highly flammable and capable of dispersing seeds through heat—transforms the landscape into a ticking time bomb that threatens community life and property. However, the vulnerability of communities is not a natural phenomenon, but a political construct. In this context, the right to free, prior and informed consultation is also disregarded, preventing communities from participating in the management of their environment and the defence of their livelihoods.
Ultimately, addressing the issue of fires in Patagonia requires shifting the focus from the ‘spark’ to a structural analysis. It is not merely a matter of fighting the fire or searching for culprits that divides the situation into winners and losers; in this context, the loss is collective and absolute.
Tackling the flames requires, in equal measure, combating institutional violence, land grabbing and social marginalisation. For this reason, true restoration cannot be limited to the environment, but must be an act of historical justice. This means involving indigenous communities not only by respecting their worldview and their rights, but also by treating them as strategic partners in safeguarding biodiversity, ensuring that their voices and those of the inhabitants of the Andean Region cease to be marginalised and instead become the cornerstone of public policies that allow them to live on the land with dignity and security.
Put another way, ecological restoration will not be possible unless the dignity and sovereignty of the peoples over the land they inhabit and know so well are restored first. Historical justice is, ultimately, the only firewall capable of halting the advance of a model that is burning rights to feed the greed of the present.
Antonella Sorbara, contributor to FIBGAR’s Alerta LATAM Observatory
REFERENCES
Association of State Workers. (2024, 26 February). National Parks: ATE reported that the government intends to dismiss half the workforce. Available at: https://ate.org.ar/260204-parques-nacionales/
May Council. (2025). Management report and proposals. Office of the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, Argentine Republic. Available at https://www.argentina.gob.ar/sites/default/files/informe_consejo_de_mayo.pdf
Challenges of post-fire restoration of native Patagonian forests. National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA).
Diaz B.; Almonacid L.; Pessacg N.; Colombani E.; González J.; Monserrat C.; Peri P.L. 2023.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2021.
National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA). Recent trends in rainfall in Southern Patagonia. FAO and FILAC. (2021). Indigenous and tribal peoples and forest governance.
Laclau, P., Vorraber, L. B., Furlan, N., & Letourneau, F. J. (2023). Challenges of post-fire restoration of native Patagonian forests. Presencia, 34(79), 19–23. INTA Institutional Repository.
Law No. 26,331. Environmental Protection of Native Forests. (2007, 26 November). Official Gazette of the Argentine Republic.
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Law No. 26,815. Fire Management Act (16 January 2013). Official Gazette of the Argentine Republic.
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Moore, J. W. (2020). Capitalism in the Web of Life. Ecology and Capital Accumulation. Traficantes de Sueños.
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