In the summer of 2022/2023, a wave of wildfires devastated Chile and caused the death of 26 people, destroyed over 1500 houses and forced a large group of people to evacuate. A contingent of 50 troops from the Emergency Military Unit (UME) departed on February 5 from Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base in Madrid to support Chilean authorities, Army, firefighters, brigades and teams from other countries in the efforts to control and extinguish the fires.
The UME contingent, which was based in the city of Concepción, was formed by a medical team and specialists in technical analysis and advice on the fight against wildfires (LCIF). For a month, the team collaborated with the other teams sharing knowledge and protocols.
UME responded to four wildfires and always followed the same procedure. During the daily planning meetings, an analysis specialist studied and predicted the behavior of the fire based on factors such as topography, fuel, wind, temperature, and humidity, among others. A communications specialist made it possible to see from the command post what was happening thanks to drones and satellite images. On the ground, the team’s daily mission was to protect endangered populations, establish a perimeter and attack the flames directly with manual tools and hoses.
The first wildfire UME fought was the one in Las Toscas, in a nearby community, where they felt the kindness of the local people, who ensured they had enough water and food during the time it took to extinguish the fire.
The proximity of the wildfire in Omerhuet to the nearby towns made it the longest fire of the entire mission. For two weeks, with plenty of air support and 400 meters long hoses, the team fought a constant battle to prevent the fire from entering the Nonguén National Park.
UME also fought the wildfire in Los Cortijos for two days. The steepness of the ground and the many burning areas required many helicopters working non-stop to assist the personnel on the ground.
However, the last wildfire, in Santa Ana, was the hardest one and the one that caught more attention. Located close to a thermal power plant that supplied electricity to over a million people, the team fought it for a week from San José del Palco, saving houses using only hoses and backpacks and successfully predicting the fire's behavior.
On March 6, the contingent departed Chile and returned to Spain, with the warmth of its people in their hearts and the satisfaction of a job well done.
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