Deadly wildfires swept through Chile and Argentina in January, killing 23 people and severely damaging ancient forests. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium say global heating made the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fueled these fires about three times more likely. Chile’s regions of Biobío and Ñuble were hit hard. The fires destroyed over 1,000 homes and forced 52,000 people to flee. Temperatures soared above 37C, and strong winds spread the flames. In Argentina, fires affected Los Alerces national park in Patagonia, home to ancient alerce trees that live more than 3,000 years. The damage worsened due to big cuts in fire management following budget reductions by the government led by Javier Milei, who has dismissed the climate crisis as a “socialist lie.” Dr Juan Antonio Rivera from Argentina said, “Ancient forests were devastated, as was the unique biodiversity in the area. These are ancient giants that have stood undisturbed for thousands of years.” He added, “Unfortunately with a government that does not understand climate change and its connection to human activities, and where nature is secondary in terms of priorities, wildfires end up having greater impacts than they should.” Parts of Chile and Argentina now face much drier summers because of human-caused carbon emissions. Early summer rainfall in Chile is down by 25%, and Patagonia’s affected region sees 20% less rain. Dr Clair Barnes from Imperial College London said, “Our analysis shows a clear and dangerous fingerprint of climate change on these fires. By burning fossil fuels, we have essentially loaded the dice, making the conditions for these devastating blazes more likely.” Scientists warn that such extreme weather will increase unless fossil fuel burning stops. Their study used weather records and climate models to confirm the role of global heating in worsening fire conditions. Chile’s wildfire risk is also worsened by non-native tree plantations near towns. Mauricio Santos-Vega from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre said, “These plantations are located directly next to settlements, as was seen in Valparaíso in 2024.” That year, wildfires in Valparaíso killed at least 131 people. This shows how climate change and land choices combine to fuel deadly fires.