Some of world’s oldest trees hit by climate-fuelled wildfires in Patagonia

The climate crisis intensified a wave of wildfires that killed 23 people in Chile and ravaged forests in Argentina that include some of the world’s oldest trees, researchers have found. World Weather Attribution concluded that the hot, dry and windy conditions that fuelled the blazes were made about three times more likely by global heating, and that human-caused carbon emissions have produced significantly drier summers: rainfall is now about 25% lower in early summer in Chile and 20% lower in the affected region of Patagonia.

In Chile the fires pushed the regions of Biobío and Ñuble into a “state of catastrophe” in mid-January, killing 23 people, destroying more than 1,000 homes and forcing 52,000 residents to flee. The blazes were driven by temperatures exceeding 37C and strong winds, and their impact was worsened by non-native tree plantations that are more flammable and sit close to settlements, a pattern seen in Valparaíso in 2024 where wildfires killed at least 131 people.

Chile, Argentina, Patagonia

wildfires, patagonia, chile, argentina, climate change, global heating, drier summers, rainfall decline, biobío, ñuble