Fire Situation

Most people are aware that since last week many fires have broken out in southern Chile.

ARAUCO has over 1,300 professional firefighters who are all properly trained and equipped to prevent fires and bring them under control. It has a further 700 firefighters trained in putting fires out. ARAUCO has 89 fire trucks, 30 runways and helipads, 11 tanker planes, 17 helicopters that carry tanks and transport firefighters, 4 heavy-duty helicopters, 3 coordination planes, 18 skidders for cutting fire-breaks, 2 bulldozers, 130 detection towers with automatic cameras, fire detection satellites, 3 detection centers, and support from national and international specialist companies.

However, the damage caused by these fires has increased considerably, due to high temperatures, strong winds, low humidity, and the complexity of fighting many outbreaks that simultaneously appear in several places.

ARAUCO has approximately 35,000 hectares of forests in the area affected by these fires, but the extent of the damage can only be determined once conditions permit a full damage assessment, which will be affected by the age of the trees, the intensity of the fire in that area, and how far it reached.

The safety of employees and local communities is our top priority. Therefore, we are closely working with the authorities, the uniformed police, firefighters, the Armed Forces and our neighbors, and we are providing our experience, commitment and resources to help tackle this emergency.