Vicious wildfires have swept through Argentine Patagonia, burning more than 5,500 hectares. Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are battling the inferno, which threatens local communities and a popular tourist destination in the Andes Mountains. “Officials in Chubut province said helicopters, amphibious planes, and air tankers have been helping workers to extinguish the flames, their efforts hampered by massive columns of smoke, which have reduced visibility for ground crews,” Sky News reports. Footage below: Horrific images coming out of Chubut Province in Patagonia Argentina. The forest fire is completely out of control and has now reached Route 40. At least 3,000 tourists had to be evacuated this week from several forest areas near the Andes mountains in Chubut province, in… pic.twitter.com/LXrx1VVor1 — Volcaholic (@volcaholic1) January 9, 2026 Fires continue to rage across 3000 hectares of forests in parts of the Argentine Patagonia, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. The blazes come one year after the region suffered its worst wildfire season in three decades. https://t.co/3iCHJYlYL4 pic.twitter.com/NL4LwofUhP — Sky News (@SkyNews) January 10, 2026 Sky News shared further: The province’s governor, Ignacio Torres, warned on Instagram on Saturday that “the next 48 hours are vital” as he urged the entire community to remain alert. Mr Torres, who said on Wednesday that “more than 3,000 tourists” had been moved away from the Puerto Patriada lake resort along with a few dozen locals, said “eight aircraft are operating in different sectors of the [Puerto Patriada] fire” along with “additional aircraft and support firefighters from Chile and Cordoba.” His post gave different details on the firefighting effort and the spread of the fires, saying nearly 500 people, including firefighters, rescuers, security forces, and support personnel, are fighting the blazes, which have consumed “more than 5,500 hectares (55 square km) of fields and native forest.” Their efforts in the most critical sectors include “reinforcing firebreaks, cooling hotspots, and opening and widening roads,” he said. There are unconfirmed reports that the blaze was the result of arson. Investigators are looking into the allegations. Wildfires sweep across parts of Patagonia Read more https://t.co/kN0yKfxjfH — Sky News (@SkyNews) January 10, 2026 More from Prensa Latina: The newspaper quotes the lament of Chubut’s Secretary of Forests, Abel Nievas, as he describes the impact of the blaze, which broke out on January 5, as “the worst environmental tragedy in 20 years” in that province, where the flames have consumed some 7,000 hectares of native forest. The main fire front is concentrated in the Epuyen and El Hoyo area. In Puerto Patriada, at least ten homes were destroyed by the fire. The municipality of El Maiten asked its residents to be prepared for a possible evacuation. Other nearby towns, such as El Coihue and Buenos Aires Chico, remain on alert, with municipal facilities already prepared as a precaution to receive evacuees. The Municipality of El Hoyo implemented a preventative self-evacuation for residents, tourists, and visitors of the El Pedregoso area, as well as for the Aldea San Francisco area, while traffic on Route 40 remains restricted. Authorities in Chubut believe the fire was intentionally set, and judicial investigators are working to corroborate the charge. Watch additional footage below: