Mexico City, Mexico — The Government of Mexico has sent a brigade of forest firefighters to Chile to help contain fires. The men and women sent were through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the National Forestry Commission (Conafor).
A total of 145 firefighters and technicians specialized in fire management have been deployed to Chile.
The contingent, transported by the Chilean Air Force, is made up of 141 men and four women from 24 states with extensive experience in firefighting and integrated fire management, including two brigade leaders who will directly lead the field operations.
The work includes opening firebreaks, controlling hotspots, and monitoring perimeters in the Biobío and Araucanía regions to contain the spread of the 85 active fires in the South American country.
Currently, Chile is battling 85 active wildfires with an estimated area of 43,401 hectares, primarily in the Biobío, Araucanía and Ñuble regions. These fires are being fueled by high temperatures, low relative humidity and strong winds, according to information from the Chilean National Forestry Corporation (Conaf).
Mexican firefighting brigades have been deployed to San Pedro de la Paz, where they are supporting firefighting efforts in coordination with Corporación Nacional Forestal de Chile (Conaf).
The contingent is divided into seven brigades: four will address the fire in the Biobío region and three will support the Araucanía region.
During the operational period of January 25, Mexican firefighters carried out, among other actions, the clearing of firebreaks, the detection and extinguishing of hotspots, as well as assessment, surveillance and tracking of the fire perimeters.
In total, several kilometers of fire lines were addressed and active fires were directly fought, activities that contribute to containing the spread of the fires and protecting communities and ecosystems in the affected areas.
Rodrigo Illesca Rojas, the executive director of the National Forestry Corporation of Chile, visited the overnight site of the Mexican brigades in the Municipality of San Pedro de la Paz where he acknowledged the support provided by Mexico and the operational coordination between both countries.
“Today marks the start of fieldwork for the Mexican firefighters who arrived yesterday in the Biobío region. CONAF Executive Director Rodrigo Illesca met with the team early this morning before they deployed to the Trinitarias and Rancho Chico fires in Concepción.
“During the visit, the director thanked the firefighters for their support and reinforced safety protocols for fieldwork,” the National Forestry Corporation of Chile posted January 23.
The deployment of brigade members adds to the humanitarian support actions that Mexico has previously provided to Chile. In 2017, a contingent of 58 combatants and technicians was sent, and in 2023 a deployment was carried out with 180 people from Conafor and 120 members of the Mexican Armed Forces.
These deployments are made possible by the strengthening of operational and technical capabilities derived from exchange programs, specialized training and interoperability promoted by Conafor, which guarantees an efficient and safe integration of international operations under common protocols for coordination and comprehensive fire management.
The Government of Mexico, through Semarnat and Conafor, reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation and solidarity action in the face of environmental emergencies, contributing highly trained personnel and comprehensive fire management protocols.
