Fires in Corrientes: 4 thousand hectares burned in Iberá and there is a state of emergency due to the drought

In 2022, the fires raged more than 12% of the surface of the province of Currents. Now once again The fire does not stop in the Iberá estuary and the flames have already destroyed more than 4000 acres. This Tuesday, the government reported outbreaks in 12 towns and several municipalities declared themselves in water emergency due to lack of water.

Specialists consulted by TN They warned that the most affected area is the Portal Carambola: “We are in an extreme drought, the fire cannot be contained and it advances more and more with the passing of the days. The demand for water is enormousthe wind causes the flames to expand and the high temperatures – which will continue in the coming days – ”, explained Luis Martínez, an environmental activist in Corrientes.

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“In some localities there are water problems to extract water from the groundwater. Most of the municipalities declared a state of water emergency and they are demanding citizens to do a rational use of water. The lagoons are also dry,” she added.

Strictly speaking, only in the Carambola area some 30 brigade members and national and provincial park rangers work, but only heavy rain could put out the flames and bring peace of mind to the animals, who are already escaping in search of water and vegetation.

However, “the size of the fires is not the same as last year. Drought and weather conditions they are the same, and that has a negative impact on the strategy to fight the fires. It is very complex to turn off an estuary that has no water and fuel is scarce,” said Mariana Raño, a biologist from the National Parks Administration.

“Regarding better teams, yes there are. The National Park has drones to detect outbreaks in time and prevent larger fires, training for brigade members is also being carried out at this time,” said the specialist.

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In the last few hours, the Rewilding Argentina Foundation assured that the fire could Head towards the San Alonso Island area, the heart of the reintroduction project of emblematic species of the region, such as the jaguar and the giant otter.

The refuge, where several jaguar specimens reside with their young, is less than 20 kilometers from the firebut an eventual change in the winds could lead the fire to the Portal San Nicolás area, one of the most affected at the beginning of 2022.