News of fires

Government declares emergency over Patagonia wildfires

Today 10:02 Milei administration declares fire emergency in Chubut, Río Negro, Neuquén and La Pampa via emergency decree; Affected areas declared a disaster zone by authorities.

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Rains ease fires in Patagonia, but risk of flare-ups remains

Yesterday 15:21 Brief respite from light rainfall earlier this week has improved conditions; Experts say the risk of further flare-ups remain, with at least 45,000 hectares on land now burnt.

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Extreme weather hampers fight against wildfires in Patagonia

25-01-2026 01:54 Tens of thousands of hectares have burned in southern Argentina as firefighters struggle against heat, drought and strong winds, with Los Alerces National Park the hardest-hit area.

ANTI-SEMITISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Fires in Patagonia revive old anti-Semitic narratives

15-01-2026 18:25 Viral messages on social media attributing raging forest fires in Patagonia to alleged Israeli plans to populate the region, reviving centuries-old conspiracy theories.

DISINFORMATION & SOCIAL MEDIA

Patagonia’s wildfires become weapons of disinformation

14-01-2026 16:05 From Mapuche scapegoating to an alleged Israeli plot – how conspiracy theories, false narratives, AI images and political agendas distorted the truth behind the devastating blazes in southern Argentina.

by Giselle Leclercq

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Firefighters battle blazes as Patagonia wildfires spread to 15,000 hectares

12-01-2026 10:02 More than 15,000 hectares of forest have been consumed by fire in Argentina's Patagonia, according to most recent update; Hundreds of firefighters and local volunteers struggled to contain flames out of control that have put small communities on edge.

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

More than 3,000 tourists evacuated as Patagonia battles wildfires

07-01-2026 16:47 Some 3,000 tourists evacuated as fire rips through thousands of hectares of forests in Patagonia.

ENVIRONMENT

Brazil records 62% jump in area burned by forest fires, says monitor

24-06-2025 09:51 According to monitoring platform MapBiomas, fires razed 30 million hectares last year – a 62 percent jump compared to the 18.5 million hectares burned annually on average.

ENVIRONMENT

After Patagonia, fires rip through northeast Argentina

11-02-2025 22:26 Fires in the northeastern province of Corrientes have consumed up to 250,000 hectares of land in northeast Argentina since January.

CRIME & SECURITY

Argentina to declare Mapuche group RAM a ‘terrorist organisation’

05-02-2025 14:28 Security Minister targets Facundo Jones Huala, the leader of the RAM indigenous group, over fires in Patagonia and vows to declare it a "terrorist organisation.”

ENVIRONMENT

One dead, hundreds evacuated as wildfires continue to burn in Patagonia

03-02-2025 09:01 Authorities in Río Negro Province say a man has died and more than 800 people evacuated as forest fires continue to rage near El Bolsón.

ENVIRONMENT

Hundreds of homes evacuated as Patagonia fires spread

16-01-2025 14:49 Forest fires in Patagonia force evacuation of 200 families, destroying some 2,000 hectares of terrain in the town of Epuyén.

FIRES IN LOS ANGELES

Search for bodies as LA firefighters brace for more wind

13-01-2025 17:45 Multiple wildfires fuelled by intense Santa Ana Winds are still burning across Los Angeles County while some containment has been achieved. At least 24 people have died and over 100,000 people are still under evacuation orders.

ENVIRONMENT

Brazilians choke as fire smoke blankets 80% of country

30-09-2024 16:44 Brazil is suffering the effects of a multiplication of fires from north to south in the midst of an extreme drought linked to climate change.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

Wildfires continue to ravage Córdoba as Milei spreads fake news

26-09-2024 15:57 Firefighters are seeking to contain wildfires that have set ablaze at least 70,000 hectares. President Milei, fresh from his trip to New York, travels to the region to survey damage – and then spreads fake news about the event on social media.