Wildfires are tearing through Argentina’s Patagonia region, burning vast areas of native forest and threatening irreplaceable ecosystems. More than 450 square kilometres have already been destroyed, including parts of a national park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to ancient alerce trees which can live for thousands of years. Thousands of residents have been evacuated as firefighters battle intense winds, high temperatures and difficult terrain. Fire crews report shortages of trained staff, aircraft and basic equipment, leaving them dangerously overstretched. Environmental groups warn that climate change is worsening fire conditions, making such blazes more frequent and severe. The crisis has intensified criticism of president Javier Milei’s aggressive austerity policies. His ‘chainsaw’ spending cuts this year have slashed the national fire management service’s budget by 71 percent. Milei, who has called climate change a ‘socialist lie’ and is considering withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, faces mounting pressure as the fires have now destroyed an area more than twice the size of Buenos Aires.