The article examines the January 2026 wildfires that swept through central-southern Chile’s Andean foothills and northern Patagonia in Argentina. It describes the meteorological drivers, human impacts, and the climate-change context that makes such fires more likely in the future.
Fire season snapshot: scale, timing, and consequences
Fires ignited in Chile’s BiobÃo and Ñuble regions on 16 January and in Argentina’s Chubut in early January. They surged with renewed force around 27 January.
Extreme heat above 38°C, months of drought, and winds of 40–50 km/h fueled rapid spread and even pyrocumulus cloud formation. States of emergency were declared across both countries.
By late January, the tally in Chile included at least 1,000 homes destroyed, 23 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and more than 52,000 people displaced. Over 64,000 hectares burned in Chile.
In Argentine Patagonia, more than 45,000 hectares burned and thousands were displaced. The fires also devastated native forests, national parks, and border communities.
Fire-weather dynamics and climate context
Understanding what drove these fires requires looking at the fire-weather conditions using the hot-dry-windy index (HDWI). Researchers also assessed preceding seasonal precipitation deficits to gauge climate-change influence on the event.
The combination of heat, drought, and wind created an environment where fire could spread with exceptional speed and intensity.
- Heat and temperature: daytime highs above 38°C stressed vegetation and dried fuels.
- Prolonged drought preceding the ignition reduced fuel moisture and increased flammability.
- Strong winds: sustained 40–50 km/h winds accelerated fire spread and plume development.
- Pyrocumulus clouds formed due to intense surface heating and convection, signaling extreme fire behavior.
Climate attribution and future fire risk
Analyses indicate that the January 2026 event aligned with roughly a 1-in-5-year fire-weather occurrence in today’s climate. Human-induced warming increased the likelihood of such events by about threefold in the Chilean region and by about 2.5-fold in Patagonia.
Seasonal rainfall in the three months leading up to the fires was unusually low—roughly 25% below normal in Chile and 20% in Patagonia. Higher temperatures amplified evapotranspiration, drying available vegetation.
Climate models consistently project a trend toward more severe fire-weather and further declines in seasonal rainfall. The consensus is high that these observed changes are driven by anthropogenic climate change, rather than natural variability alone.
Implications for resilience, planning, and policy
Several interlinked vulnerabilities amplified the impact of the 2026 fires. These included the landscape context near settlements and the capacity to detect and respond to fires when they arise.
The report highlights the need for integrated approaches that combine land management, early warning, and community protection measures.
- Invasive pine plantations near communities increase wildfire risk by providing dense, highly flammable fuels close to people and infrastructure.
- Limited monitoring and response resources reduce the speed and effectiveness of initial containment efforts.
- Spatial planning and plantation management should prioritize fuel breaks, defensible space, and careful siting of energy and recreation facilities.
- Early-warning systems and home-hardening—strengthening building codes, using Firewise design, and encouraging defensible space—are essential for reducing future losses.
Investing in proactive adaptation will require coordinated action across governmental agencies, landowners, and local communities.
Strengthening science-informed decision-making, improving data sharing, and building resilient infrastructure can help reduce the risk to lives, property, and ecosystems when the next extreme fire event arises.
Here is the source article for this story: Climate change fuels the destruction of world’s oldest trees