The Chamber of Deputies supported it report Departure of the Commission of Inquiry on the devastating Megafire fire that affected the Valparaíso region in February 2024 137 deathsDocument, presented by the independent deputy Tomas Lagomarsinoconcluded that there was serious negligence in the management of the emergency by various state agencies.
The report directly points to this National Forestry Corporation ,conf) and its inadequate planning and operations during fire fighting. It is worth noting that, despite the extremely adverse meteorological conditions already known, Necessary measures were not taken to prevent the fire from spreading,
“Conf’s negligence in preparing for and responding to the fire is inexcusable,” the report stressed, adding that the corporation did not monitor the progress of the incident after 3:50 p.m., nor correctly explain the severity of the situation when the fire broke out. Began to advance towards Viña del Mar.
With regard to the Presidential Delegation to Valparaiso, the report raised questions as to why the Presidential Representative, the supreme command authority for regional emergency planning, was not available during preventive early warning, having been replaced by Ceremi. However, it is recognized that, Upon becoming aware of the magnitude of the emergency, the representative returned to her duties,
Cenaprade’s role during the megafire in Valparaíso
About this senapraedThe document states that national and regional emergency response tools They did not provide practical and concrete information for decision making and coordination of evacuation.,
,SAE alerts were issued 20 minutes later when the fire had already reached several homes, rendering them unusable to neighbors.“The report details details based on testimony from firefighters, victims and officers.
Another important point addressed by the Commission was the Communal Emergency Plan of the Municipality of Viña del Mar. According to the report, it was presented “significant shortcomingsin the coordination and execution of evacuations, which made an efficient response difficult at the most critical moments of the incident.
Report stresses need to improve emergency plans
The document also emphasizes the need to improve the communal emergency plans of Senapred and other municipalities, especially Implementation of loudspeakers and sirens to alert the population about impending evacuationAdditionally, a lack of clear procedures was observed to deal with people resisting vacating their homes.
Ultimately, the report concludes that, although the construction of firebreaks could not have prevented the fire from spreading The impact could have been reduced by working to reduce flammable materials on public and private lands.,
“The lack of mitigation actions is one of the factors that contributed to the disaster,” the document says, adding that “the Commission has decided to send this report to the Public Ministry so that the responsibilities that exist on the part of CONF Can be examined and other organisms are involved.