health
February 11, 2026
Some of World's Oldest Trees Hit by Climate-Fuelled Wildfires in Patagonia
Wildfires that left 23 people dead were made about three times more likely by global heating, researchers say
TL;DR
- Climate change made conditions for deadly wildfires in Chile and Argentina about three times more likely.
- These fires resulted in 23 deaths in Chile, destroyed over 1,000 homes, and forced 52,000 people to flee.
- Ancient alerce trees in Argentina's Los Alerces national park were affected by the wildfires.
- Human-caused carbon emissions have led to significantly drier summers in parts of Chile and Argentina.
- Government budget cuts to fire management services in Argentina may have worsened the impact of the fires.
- Non-native tree plantations in Chile are more flammable than native trees and are often located near settlements.
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