Los Alerces National Park in Argentina’s Patagonia has been engulfed by wildfires that AP described as among the worst in decades for a region already battered by drought. The Associated Press reported that the blazes have affected native forests in the national park area, and that the fires continued to expand as of Monday even as evacuations were carried out for residents and tourists.
AP reported that the scale of the disaster has fueled renewed anger at President Javier Milei, whose austerity policy critics say has reduced spending on programs and agencies that not only fight fires but also protect parks and help prevent fires from starting or spreading. In the reporting, officials and supporters of the government’s approach pointed to the broader goal of stabilizing Argentina’s economy, but firefighters and environmental advocates argued that the cuts are showing up on the ground.
Luis Schinelli, one of 16 park rangers covering Los Alerces’s 259,000 hectares, told AP that “Hay una voluntad política del gobierno actual en Argentina de desmantelar a las instituciones de combate a incendios” and said, “Nos están llevando más allá de nuestros límites.” AP reported that the firefighting and park-management workforce is being strained as a result.
AP said Milei has reduced funding for the National Fire Management Service by 80% in 2024 compared with the previous year, a cut critics say left the agency unable to deploy brigades, maintain firefighting aircraft, buy additional equipment, and track hazards. The report added that the Service faces an additional 71% reduction in funds this year, citing an analysis of Argentina’s 2026 budget by the Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, or FARN.
The reporting tied the crisis to broader conditions that can make fires more likely to start and spread, including drought and heat extremes. Hernán Mondino, a firefighter AP interviewed after an exhausting day battling flames in Los Alerces, said, “Dicen que el cambio climático en vivo no existe, pero lo vivimos igual,” and added, “Hasta ahora no vemos ninguna señal de que al gobierno le preocupe nuestra situación.”
AP reported that Argentina’s Ministry of Security, which took over oversight of wildfire-fighting efforts after Milei degraded the environment ministry, did not respond to a request for comment. The Associated Press also reported that Milei and U.S. President Donald Trump have developed close ties, with both leaders taking similar approaches that critics say have affected climate policy and disaster response programs.
AP reported that wildfires in the Los Alerces area began earlier in the season after a lightning strike started a small blaze near a lake on the northern margins of the park, and that early delays were compounded by the park’s remote terrain and the lack of aircraft to move equipment and suppress the hills. The report said those early problems contributed to the resignation of the park’s administration and led residents to accuse the officials of negligence in a criminal complaint while the flames moved through older mountain ranges.
Andrés Nápoli, director of FARN, told AP that the issue was not only what happened after a fire started. He said, “El fuego no solamente se ataca cuando existe, sino de manera previa. Todo el trabajo de prevención que son muy importantes hacerlo durante todo el año,” adding, “Y eso hoy en día se ha eliminado o se ha quitado.”
AP also reported that beyond cuts to firefighting, the government eliminated tens of millions of dollars from the National Parks Administration last year, contributing to layoffs or resignations of hundreds of rangers and other park staff. The Associated Press said some park workers and firefighters argue that reduced staffing and deregulation measures have made it harder to monitor fire hazards, clear trails, and educate visitors about protecting the park.
In a 2023 report cited by AP, the National Parks Administration recommended a minimum deployment of 700 firefighters to cover the land under its jurisdiction, but the agency now employs 391. AP reported that firefighters said budget cuts have reduced training capacity and limited equipment, with some firefighters relying on secondhand gear and donations.
AP quoted park officials as insisting the fiscal “shock program” did not affect the ongoing firefighting effort, with Ariel Rodríguez, the park’s acting superintendent, telling AP, “No podés meter mucha gente en terrenos peligrosos, con herramientas de corte, en lugares escarpados y de difícil acceso.” But AP reported that firefighters at the front lines said their ranks are being reduced over time—through firings in some cases, and through resignations tied to poverty-level wages that they said have not kept pace with inflation.
Beyond firefighting logistics, AP reported on the political response inside Argentina as governors asked Milei to declare a state of emergency to unlock federal funds. The report said Milei was criticized after he appeared to continue his public routine while the fires burned, including a performance on stage, and that opposition parties organized protests across provinces. AP reported that on Thursday, Milei issued an emergency decree that unlocked $70,000 for volunteer firefighters and announced what he called a “historic” fight against the fire on social media.
As firefighters recuperated at a base camp, AP reported that some volunteers hoped additional help would arrive, but residents and workers also described a sense of loss and anger over what they said could have been prevented. Mariana Rivas, a volunteer organizing improvised massages and checkups for exhausted firefighters, told AP that, “Duele porque no es solamente un paisaje lindo, vivimos acá,” and added, “Hay enojo por lo que se podría haber evitado, y porque cada año es peor”.