According to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) on Thursday, neither climate change nor the El Niño phenomenon played a decisive role in the forest fires that killed at least 133 people in central Chile in early February.
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The Chilean coast “is one of the few places in the world where climate change is causing a slight average annual decline in air temperatures,” due to an increasing wind phenomenon that is pushing cold, deep water towards the coast, explains this international Network of scientists who assess the connection between extreme weather events and climate change.
These cold waters “replace warm surface waters,” resulting in lower temperatures along the coasts, unlike inland areas or the rest of South America.
The researchers also found that the El Niño phenomenon, which raises the temperature of the Pacific Ocean and causes droughts and floods, had “no significant impact” on the fires.
On the other hand, improper land use had an impact on fires, the study said. “Across the study area, the risk of fire is increasing, particularly due to current land management practices,” she believes, pointing in particular to “the widespread conversion of native plantations by foreign plantations and monocultures.”
In particular, monocultures of pine and eucalyptus, which are more flammable than native vegetation, have increased in recent decades.
On February 2nd, several fires broke out simultaneously around the seaside resort of Viña del Mar, very close to Valparaiso. The flames ravaged entire densely populated hills, killing at least 133 people and destroying around 7,000 homes.
Authorities are investigating whether these fires were started intentionally or negligently.