Mega-fires in Chile Driven by Fire-Prone Tree Plantations, not Climate Change...

But Blaming Climate Change is Easier Than Addressing the Problem.

Although global burn area continues to decrease…

…the mega-fires in Chile are reigniting the classic climate alarmist trope that climate change is driving an increase in fires. So let’s take a look at the data.

Historically, Chile's diverse geography, ranging from the Atacama Desert in the north to the glacial regions in the south, with its central region characterized by Mediterranean climate patterns, has naturally predisposed certain areas to wildfires. However, for much of the early to mid-20th century, wildfires in Chile were relatively infrequent and smaller in scale, largely due to the predominance of native forests, traditional agricultural practices, and lower levels of human intervention in forested areas.

The scenario began to change significantly in the 1970s when Chile embarked on a path of economic development that included the promotion of industrial forestry. Policies enacted during this period offered incentives for the expansion of tree plantations, aiming to boost the forestry sector's contribution to the national economy. As a result, vast areas were planted with fast-growing, exotic tree species such as eucalyptus and pine, which are known for their commercial value but are also highly fire-prone.

These monoculture plantations, often replacing native forests, not only increased the fuel load but also altered the ecological balance, making these landscapes more susceptible to wildfires. The trees' natural oils and resins, coupled with their dense planting, created conditions that facilitated the rapid spread of fires once ignited.

Notably, the fire season of 2016-2017 was one of the most devastating, with hundreds of thousands of hectares affected, significant property loss, and tragic loss of lives.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1387766/average-area-affected-by-wildfires-chile-timeline/

Notice the lack of correlation with increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and burn area since 2000. In fact, after the 2017 fire season, a report published in Frontiers in Remote Sensing stated: