Peruvian President Dina Boluarte declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in three regions engulfed by forest fires. These fires have torn through Andean and Amazonian farmland, leaving 16 people dead and countless hectares of crops destroyed. The affected regions—Amazonas, San Martin, and Ucayali will now get emergency assistance, but the question remains, why did it take so long? Local authorities had been begging for more resources to battle these fires long before they spiraled out of control.
Fires in Peru: A Predictable Disaster or Just Bad Luck?
Every year from August to November, Peru experiences forest fires. This is no surprise to anyone familiar with the country’s environmental history. Fires are often started to clear dry grasslands, expanding agricultural areas, or worse yet by land traffickers trying to exploit new territory. So, when the Peruvian government claims this is an unexpected crisis, who are they fooling? According to Peru’s environmental ministry, this pattern repeats itself annually, yet the government is always caught unprepared.
President Boluarte’s Call to Farmers: A Futile Plea?
In a speech that bordered on stating the obvious, President Boluarte urged farmers to stop burning their grasslands. She seemed almost naive, thinking her words alone could stop the cultural practice of slash-and-burn farming that’s been happening for generations. Yes, climate change has contributed to the fires, causing drier conditions and less rainfall, but is that really the only reason? Thousands of hectares of land are going up in flames every year, yet this plea feels more like a half-hearted public relations stunt than an actual solution.
Ucayali Governor’s Desperate Call for Military Assistance
Ucayali’s regional governor, called for military aircraft to assist firefighters and volunteers who are risking their lives trying to control fires in hard-to-reach areas. These aren’t small, manageable fires they’re raging through rough terrain and damaging valuable crops like palm and cocoa. While some may argue that the government’s slow response has turned this into a national emergency, it’s clear that local authorities were already stretched too thin. Where was the urgency when these fires first started?
Record-Breaking Fire Hotspots: Is This the New Normal?
If you think this year is bad, the numbers don’t lie, South America as a whole is experiencing a record-breaking year for fire hotspots. Brazil’s space research agency reported over 346,000 fire hotspots so far this year beating a previous record set in 2007. Peru, like its neighbours, is clearly being ravaged by these environmental disasters, but what is the government doing about it? The usual cycle of ignoring the fires until they become a crisis is becoming too predictable.
The Bigger Picture: A Lack of Preparedness
It’s hard to ignore the bigger issue here: government inaction. These fires aren’t just an environmental issue they’re a symptom of a much larger problem. For years, local officials have been crying out for more support, better resources, and serious attention to this recurring disaster. Yet year after year, they are met with the same sluggish responses from Lima. Peru can’t just blame this on climate change and walk away. The lack of proactive measures has turned these predictable fires into a national tragedy, one that could have been mitigated with better planning and faster action.
Lessons to Be Learned or Just More of the Same?
The fires in Peru have exposed the cracks in a system that’s more reactive than proactive. While President Boluarte’s declaration of a state of emergency is a necessary step, it’s also a reminder of how far behind the government is in addressing this recurring issue. Climate change, poor farming practices, and illegal land activities are all fueling these fires, but government inaction is what’s allowing them to get out of control. Will this year’s crisis finally be the wake-up call the country needs, or will it simply be another statistic in a long line of preventable disasters? Only time will tell, but history suggests we shouldn’t hold our breath.
