Climate Crisis Intensifies Deadly Wildfires in Patagonia
Researchers have determined that the climate crisis significantly increased the likelihood of the wildfires in Chile that resulted in 23 fatalities and severely damaged forests containing some of the world’s oldest trees.
The extreme hot, dry, and windy weather conditions that fueled the extensive fires in January were made approximately three times more probable due to global warming, according to scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group.
Drying Conditions in Chile and Argentina
Human-induced carbon emissions have led to notably drier summers in parts of Chile and Argentina, with rainfall decreasing by 25% in early summer in Chile and by 20% in the affected Patagonian region.
Severe wildfires in Chile’s Biobío and Ñuble regions in mid-January caused a state of emergency, claiming 23 lives, destroying over 1,000 homes, and displacing 52,000 people. These fires were driven by temperatures exceeding 37°C alongside strong winds.
In Argentina, wildfires erupted in early January within the UNESCO-listed Los Alerces National Park, home to ancient alerce trees that can live for more than 3,000 years. The damage was reportedly exacerbated by budget cuts to fire management services under the government led by Javier Milei, who has dismissed the climate crisis as a "hoax."
Impact on Ancient Forests and Biodiversity
Dr Juan Antonio Rivera, affiliated with Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council in Mendoza and a member of the WWA team, stated:
"Ancient forests were devastated, as was the unique biodiversity in the area. These are ancient giants that have stood undisturbed for thousands of years.
Unfortunately with a government that does not understand climate change and its connection to human activities, and where nature is secondary in terms of priorities, wildfires end up having greater impacts than they should. The drying of our landscapes is no longer a projection but a crisis that needs an urgent response to protect our unique biodiversity and the people of our region."
Dr Clair Barnes of Imperial College London, also part of the WWA team, added:
"Our analysis shows a clear and dangerous fingerprint of climate change on these fires. By burning fossil fuels, we have essentially loaded the dice, making the conditions for these devastating blazes more likely."
Future Risks and Contributing Factors
The scientists warned that the risk of such extreme fire conditions will continue to rise until fossil fuel combustion is halted.
The study employed peer-reviewed methodologies alongside weather records and climate models to quantify how much global heating increased the probability of the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fueled the fires.
In Chile, the wildfire situation was aggravated by the presence of non-native tree plantations, which are more flammable than native species. Mauricio Santos-Vega from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre noted:
"These plantations are located directly next to settlements, as was seen in Valparaíso in 2024,"
where wildfires and related disasters in Valparaíso and surrounding regions in 2024 resulted in at least 131 deaths.
