The first forest fire detection tower in the Metropolitan Precordillera, organized and funded by residents, is inaugurated
Given the current condition of neglect and misuse of our forests, the high temperatures and drought, the Brigada de Emergencia Alto La Florida (BEAF, the country's first Volunteer Forest Brigade), together with the organized community, inaugurated last December the first fire watch tower for detecting forest fires in the Metropolitan Region and in Bosque Panul. This structure has been built and entirely financed through contributions from residents, without support from the authorities — except for CONAF, which will contribute two volunteers during the highest-risk months.
The summer of 2017 will not easily be forgotten: large forest fires ravaged the country. The drought we are experiencing, the replacement of native forest with monocultures of highly flammable species, the expansion of cities, and the unprotected state in which these forests exist are all conditions for these mega-fire events to repeat. In the Metropolitan Region, these forests are under enormous stress from being surrounded by the city, with constant visitors and without receiving adequate rest periods. In summer, everyone wants to escape the heat that immobilizes us, seeking cool air and some shade that the city has not provided. But the dangers that come with using these native spaces without responsible care (bonfires, garbage, erosion) lead to the risk of forest fires. In a second, forests that took hundreds of years to form can be severely damaged. This in turn affects our quality of life, since these forests produce oxygen, clean the smog, create breezes that cool us, protect us from landslides, are an important part of the water cycle, and connect us with our nature.
Despite all these reasons, Bosque Panul — the last native forest in Santiago's urban area — remains without official protection due to the complete absence of political will from successive governments. Regarding the tower, the contribution requested from the Municipality of La Florida was explicitly denied by Mayor Carter. This is why BEAF and the organized community decided to follow the path of self-management.
May this work be one of many — protecting and caring for it is in our hands!
The tower is not yet finished — your solidarity contribution is still needed:
Comité de Seguridad Santa Sofía de Lo Cañas, RUT: 65.143.397-5, Banco Estado, Cuenta Vista N° 360-7224886-9.
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