Climate Change in Latin America: The Growing Risk of Wildfires

Climate change may seem like a 21st-century buzzword but it is a long-standing problem. This phenomenon refers to a long-term shift in weather and temperature patterns.

Climate change may have existed long before it even became an issue. In other words, it is a naturally occurring phenomenon but increasing urban activities have turned it into a major crisis.

As a result, areas start experiencing extreme precipitation, droughts, pollution, food insecurity, and wildfires. The Latin American region is experiencing all these problems to varying degrees.

In this article, we will exclusively focus on wildfire risk. Keep reading to understand how climate change has burned down huge acres of Latin American countries.

How Climate Change is Contributing to Wildfire Risk

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that South American residents may have to adjust to a new normal. With the Amazon rainforests experiencing their worst case of drought in 45 years, mega-fires may become more commonplace.

The temperatures across the Latin American region are rising like never before. Countries like Chile, Argentina, and Brazil have always experienced a somewhat dry climate. The increasing heat combined with dry conditions and altered rainfall patterns are making the South American region extremely vulnerable to wildfires.

The vegetation dries out easily, especially in areas where manmade irrigation is not available. The cycle is so vicious that climate change is leading to a shift in the vegetation. The glorious rainforests that have been home to thousands of animal, bird, and reptile species are witnessing more dry grass growth.

This type of vegetation is highly flammable and heat waves trigger a wildfire easily. Then we have the El Nino impact of 2023. As per the National Oceanic Service of the United States, the El Nino impact is a seasonal phenomenon that causes the Pacific jet stream to move south and further east.

As a result, the areas affected experience warmer and drier climatic conditions. The 2023 El Nino impact was responsible for incredibly warm and dry conditions in Bolivia and Colombia. While these regions experienced water shortages, others like Peru, inland Bolivia, and Ecuador faced intense rainfall and flooding.

The extreme heat waves of 2024 did not bear any good tidings either. Even a recent report revealed how wildfires due to climate change continue to ravage the lands of Colombia. Other areas like Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador are on alert mode.

Challenges Involved in Putting Out Wildfires

As much as these wildfires are a growing threat to the Latin American population, the most affected are the brave firefighters. Firemen across Latin America are tirelessly trying to put out large-scale wildfires despite extreme weather and shrouding smoke.

Thousands of personnel have been deployed and the struggle is ongoing. Some of the key challenges firefighters are facing include –

• The rapid spread of the fire as wildfires are notorious for covering a large area quickly. This makes it difficult to keep up with them.
• Wildfires are also unpredictable and this makes it difficult to anticipate their movement.
• Most wildfires start in remote and rugged terrain where firemen may have limited access. Depending on the location, there may be limited resources like specialized equipment and aerial support.
• The persisting extreme weather and dense vegetation provide ample fuel for the fire to accelerate in speed and intensity.
• The smoke that rises from wildfires can be extremely toxic for firefighter health.

In most cases, the brave professionals use Class A firefighting foam concentrate to extinguish the wildfire. This foam is made using synthetic surfactants that make water more effective to put out fires caught on wood, paper, or vegetation.

Another class of firefighting foam that may be used is Class B or Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). This foam is not suitable for putting out wildfires but may help contain any liquid-fuel fires at firefighting stations.

Fire stations are strategically placed across wildfire regions to shorten the team’s response time. Now, a wildfire can reach the station’s vicinity. Though fire stations do not store liquid fuels, their fire trucks still run on diesel.

The Perils of AFFF

AFFF may be used to put out any fires that aggravate due to the said liquid fuel. Even here, there is a risk involved because AFFF is known to be a human carcinogen. This is mainly due to chemicals used to manufacture the foam, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS.

According to TruLaw, firefighters have developed conditions like cancer due to direct exposure. In the US, an active AFFF lawsuit is helping firefighters receive fair compensation for injuries.

Depending on the case, AFFF lawsuit settlement amounts could range between $75,000 and $300,000. The need of the hour is non-toxic Class B foam alternatives and electric fire trucks. Are these available? Only in some Latin American countries like Chile and Brazil.

Measures to be Implemented in an Era of ‘Megafires’

Latin American Nations are trying their best to tackle the growing risk. It all starts with containing the symptoms of climate change. Some measures that have been implemented and require implementation include –

• Channeling water back into wetlands can help restore the ecosystems.
• Fire-smart landscaping has become a priority. This practice involves spacing out trees and shrubs to prevent fires from spreading.
• Fuel loads can be reduced through the development of firebreaks.
• Invasive tree species must be cut down and replaced with native ones that are less likely to catch fire.
• Citizens must be properly educated so their livestock and agricultural activities do not cause further damage.

Latin American countries have started implementing most of these measures rigorously. This is being done through the Group of Experts on Forest Fires in Latin America and the Caribbean (GEFF LAC).

As per the estimates, Bolivia and Brazil are the two most wildfire-affected areas in the region. With over 346,000 fire spots detected in a single year, South America has crossed its 2007 mark.

This is alarming, to say the least. Unless a concrete solution is found, the region will continue to lose millions of animals and acres of land area.