Throughout the entire weekend, dozens of volunteer firefighters worked tirelessly to contain a large-scale forest fire in the Quebrada del Condorito National Park.
The fire continues, and due to this week's weather conditions, the risk is extreme.
El fuego en la Quebrada del Condorito está activo
The most recent information details the situation in three critical areas: Quebrada del Condorito, Villa Giardino, and San Francisco del Chañar.
The fire in Quebrada del Condorito remains active
The fire remains out of control, specifically in the southern sector of the National Park.
The complexity of the topography in the area prevents access by land, so personnel must be airlifted to the work area.
El fuego en la Quebrada del Condorito está activo
Currently, 159 personnel are working on this operation.
Villa Giardino (contained): the fire was contained, which means there is no fire activity along the perimeter.
Nevertheless, maximum attention remains due to the persistence of numerous hot spots.
The 164 personnel assigned to this sector are focusing their resources on these areas to ensure the complete extinction of the flames.
San Francisco del Chañar (ash watch): the area remains on alert. Here, the work focuses on conducting preventive patrols to avoid possible fire reignitions, with eight personnel operating on site.
Since the early afternoon hours on Saturday, teams deployed fire engines and tanker trucks to cool the shoulder and stop the fire from advancing along the road and crossing to the other side.
Although the gusts decreased in intensity—from 75 kilometers per hour (47 mph) to 48 kilometers per hour (30 mph)—they continued to hinder the work of the brigades, who faced flames over five meters (16 feet) high.
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With joint efforts, firefighters managed to partially contain the front closest to the road, although the main fire remains active and out of control in the mountainous area.
More than 200 personnel worked throughout the day, with hand tools and water equipment, in difficult-to-access terrain and under extreme weather conditions.
El fuego en la Quebrada del Condorito está activo.
Aerial resources—six water-bombing planes—could not operate due to the gusts and swirling smoke that prevented visibility.
"The wind was coming at 75 kilometers per hour (47 mph). It decreased, but it is still a force that doesn't allow us to control the fires," said the spokesperson for the Secretariat of Climate Risk Management, Roberto Schreiner.
The official confirmed that the fire, which started the previous day due to a vehicle fire in the gorge, had already consumed more than 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) and affected areas of Quebrada del Condorito National Park.
The fire had also reached a parking lot located one and a half kilometers (0.93 miles) from the park entrance, where there were about 60 vehicles. Fourteen of them were completely destroyed by the flames. Schreiner specified that low humidity and extreme heat contributed to the spread of the fire within minutes.
"The topography of the area complicates access, so personnel must be transported by air. In the operation, 157 personnel from different units are working," authorities specified on Monday.
