Patagonia Wildfires

About wildfires in Patagonia

Patagonia, the vast region spanning southern Argentina and Chile, faces unique wildfire challenges due to its dry climate, strong winds, and increasingly hot summers. The region's native forests of lenga and coihue, along with vast grassland steppes, are particularly vulnerable to fire.

Strong Patagonian winds can drive fires across enormous distances in short periods, making containment extremely difficult. The 2015 fires in Cholila and the 2021 fires in Lago Martin destroyed thousands of hectares of ancient native forest. Climate change is extending the fire season and increasing the severity of drought conditions.

This tracker monitors all satellite-detected fire activity across Patagonia, from Neuquén and Río Negro provinces in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south, providing essential data for the region's firefighting services.