The Minister of Defense, Maya Fernández, and the Deputy Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Vice Admiral Pedro Ahrens, reported the deployment of military personnel from the Armed Forces in the regions of Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía, where the state of catastrophe is in force due to the forest fires.
In this regard, the minister explained that “there are already 2,000 members of the Armed Forces of the different branches in the territories. The deployment also includes 900 land vehicles, 9 aircraft and 4 maritime units.”
He added about a possible curfew that “yesterday (Monday) afternoon we had a meeting with all the heads of national defense who are permanently evaluating the situation in the regions, in coordination with the police committees of the regions (… ) Many people move at night because we also have fires at night.”
For his part, the vice admiral stated that “the institutions are ready, as always, to collaborate with all their multipurpose means and their capacities to meet the different requirements that Senapred makes permanently.”
Regarding air resources, he added that “9 aircraft are operating in the three regions, of these 4 are for direct attack on the fires (2 from the Army and 2 from the Fach), these are helicopters. There are 3 aircraft, type plane, one from each branch that is in each region supporting the air control of each of the aircraft that are fighting the fires. There is 1 Amada plane that is guiding the Ten Tanker. And there is another helicopter that is ready for the transport of personnel and material, in addition to patrols”.
Regarding the maritime media, he explained that “there are 4 Navy units that are available and ready to support coastal locations.”
“There are Army means that are carrying out the transport of foreign brigade members, materials and everything that is necessary.” He also reported that “day and night patrols have been carried out, check points, which contribute to both the State of Emergency Exception and Catastrophe,” he added.
“In general, all the forces of the armed institutions are available and ready to continue cooperating in this emergency,” he concluded.
