By indication of the Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana, and the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Martin Paleo, Forces Operational Command activated the Joint Command of the Emergency Zone of Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and north of Buenos Airesto help fight the fires.
Command is in charge of the commander of the armored brigade II of the Argentine Army, Colonel Héctor Tornero, according to an official statement.
Secretary of Military Emergency Coordination Inés Barboza, along with the aforementioned commander and a team of specialist military advisers are at the scene evaluating the situation and organizing support tasks, the letter said.
As to aerial media, Three medium Army Aviation Buey II helicopters have been deployed, which to date have transferred more than 1,600 brigade members to the areas of the outbreaks, operating a campaign airfield with aeronautical fuel tankers from the Aircraft Supply and Maintenance Battalion. 601.
It was also reported that support units are affected belonging to the Zárate River Naval Area of the Argentine Navy, the Amphibious Engineers Battalion 121, Engineers Battalion 1, both based in Santo Tomé, Engineers Battalion 2 of Concepción del Uruguay, the Engineers Company based in San Nicolás and the group of Engineers 601 from Campo de Mayo, all of them belonging to the Argentine Army.
Likewise, campaign means were deployed in support of the command and control of operations by the Joint Communications Company.
Santa Fe Governor Omar Perotti had today requested President Alberto Fernández the urgent intervention of the Armed Forces in order to provide assistance and collaboration in the mitigation of the fires of the Paraná River Delta Islands, which particularly affect the Rosario Metropolitan Area.
The request was based on the fact that the numerous operations deployed to respond to the emergency caused by the advance of the flames, by sending brigade members, heavy machinery, helicopters and hydrant planes, which seek to contain the forest fires and extinguish them, have been insufficient. to achieve absolute mitigation of the fires, reported sources from the Santa Fe Governorate.
Support of the Armed Forces to the emergency due to the fires in the Delta https://t.co/uPNcYPJmjH
– Jorge Taiana (@JorgeTaiana) August 20, 2022
Environment flew over the areas affected by the fires in the Paraná Delta
The head of the Nation’s environmental portfolio, Juan Cabandié, toured the operational bases of San Pedro, in the province of Buenos Aires, and Alvear in Santa Fe, both strategic points from where the fight against forest and grassland fires is organized in the Paraná Delta, it was officially reported.
The minister, accompanied by the secretary of Environmental Control and Monitoring, Sergio Federovisky and the director of the National Fire Management Service (SNMF), Alberto Seufferheld, flew over the area affected by the fires in the north of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos and Santa Faith.
“We are facing a complex situation since there are no rains expected and next week the temperature will rise,” said Cabandié.
And he added: “The brigadistas fight the fire, but then someone goes and lights it again. Two years ago we demanded that the Justice act and apply exemplary measures, because there are no existing resources that are enough to put out a million hectares. If the Justice made progress in the case, it would be a significant event.”
Meanwhile, Federovisky stressed: “Each province is the one that exercises control over natural resources and has the power to legislate for their exploitation and to protect them.”
“We have a difficulty because environmental policy cannot have geographical limits. We must ensure that all the actors in this area have a global, holistic view and understand the delta as a whole.” When they say ‘do something’ it should be more precise, because there is a response from the State like never before. We have a record number of air resources, there is no lack of resources, but it is never enough if we are talking about a million hectares,” she emphasized.
To combat the fire in the region, three hydrant planes, three helicopters with a bucket and an observer plane from the SNMF were made available, in addition to two helicopters for transporting personnel from the Ministry of Defense, a helicopter from the province of Buenos Aires and a vessel of the National Parks Administration (APN). In particular, in the Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park, a helicopter with a bucket also operates from the SNMF together with APN personnel.
Florencia Tuñón, Coordinator of the Pampas region of the SNMF indicated: “In the Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park we were able to move the brigade members and throw water with the heli bucket, but at noon the wind changed and we could no longer use the helicopter due to lack of visibility. At this time the visibility is zero,” said Tuñón.
More than 100 brigade members and support personnel are still on duty and it is expected that tomorrow 13 brigade members and reinforcement equipment from the Lanín, Nahuel Huapi and Alerces national parks will join.
Ramón Salazar, interim mayor, was also present at the San Pedro base, and Erika Gonnet, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of the province of Santa Fe, was part of the tour in Alvear.
