Assessment of 2022-2023 forest fire season: 431,000 hectares affected and 2,369 brigade members mobilized

Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela and the executive director of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), Christian Little, gave an assessment of the 2022-2023 forest fire season. 

Due to the magnitude of the emergency, they highlighted the large number of resources, personnel and technical equipment that were made available to deal with the disaster, which peaked in February. 

Figures 

For the 2022-2023 season, the Government, via CONAF, provided the following resources throughout the country: 

• 265 brigades made up of 2,369 brigade members. 
• 74 aircraft (41 helicopters, 26 tanker planes, three coordination aircraft and four tankers). 
• As of May 25, 2023, an area of 431,657 hectares (1,066,647 acres) had been reported as affected (+244% than the previous season and +464% than the last five-year period) across 6,947 forest fires (0% compared to the previous season and -2% than the last five-year period). 
• The Biobío Region (184,210 hectares or 455,193 acres) and La Araucanía Region (116,377 hectares or 287,574 acres) were the most affected in terms of damaged surface area. 
• The budget assigned by the Chilean State to prevent and control these emergencies was more than $83.8 billion pesos (US$103.9 million). 
• This is in addition to similar resources from forestry companies for brigade members, aircraft and prevention, plus the participation of the Armed Forces, Firefighters, Carabineros (Uniformed police service) and the Policía de Investigaciones (Investigative police service, PDI), under the coordination of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED). 
• To face this complex season, Chile also relied on international collaboration in controlling the mega forest fires. 891 brigade members arrived from Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Portugal and France. Canada and the United States also sent material contributions, consisting of motorized pumps, chainsaws and hoses. 
• During the 2022-2023 season, 40 professionals were contracted to determine the causes of the fires. To date, 1,769 fires have been investigated, equivalent to 26% of the total number that occurred. The goal is for 1,800 to be investigated for this season. 
• With regard to the 1,769 fires investigated during the 2022-2023 season, the causes that have been determined throughout the country are as follows: 

          Accidental 63% (1,113 forest fires)

          Intentional 35% (618 forest fires)

          Unknown 2% (38 forest fires)

          Natural 0% of the total to date

          12 fires are currently under investigation. 

• Of the regions of Chile’s south-central zone that were affected by forest fires, restoration processes are intended to begin on 355 hectares (877 acres) in the Maule Region, 77 hectares (190 acres) in the Ñuble Region and 57 hectares (141 acres) in the Biobío Region, totalling an area of 489 hectares (1,208 acres). In the case of La Araucanía Region, for the moment there is no planned restoration for land affected by forest fires, which is subject to modification given the above information.