‘We are in an era of megafires’: new tactics demanded as wildfires intensify across South America. Recent blazes in Chile and Argentina have highlighted the need for better environmental laws as the climate crisis deepens.Guardian Sam Meadows in Buenos Aires 13 Feb 2024 As South America endures unprecedented high temperatures, after the hottest January on record globally, it is still coming to terms with the devastating wildfires that have torn across the continent. Chile has been the most notably affected country, with at least 131 people dying in a fire that ripped through the coastal Valparaíso region in what has quickly become a national tragedy. Last year, at least 23 people died in summer wildfires in the country. However, it is not the only country suffering from out-of-control blazes. In Argentinian Patagonia, a fire in the Los Alerces national park has scorched more than 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) of land, while fires in Colombia ravaged more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) in January. According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, 2023 was a year of intense wildfire activity in South America.
Wildfire carbon emissions in Chile and parts of Argentina in the first two months were the second highest in 20 years. Human activity sparks the vast majority of wildfires in South America. Chile’s fire authority, Conaf, has attributed 99.7% of fires to “carelessness or negligence” by human actors. Meanwhile, local officials have blamed campers for the Los Alerces fires in Argentina. Fires have become an increasing problem in recent years. Scientists cite a combination of El Niño, a weather pattern that causes sea temperatures to rise in the Pacific, affecting weather worldwide, and the climate crisis for creating the conditions in which fires can spread uncontrolled.....read on https://www.theguardian.com/