2008 Delta del Paraná wildfires

Series of wildfires in Argentina September 2020 2008 Delta del Paraná wildfires Fires_and_smoke_in_Argentina.jpg 300px Satellite view of the fires captured by NASA on April 18, 2008. Smoke is shown covering the cities of Rosario, Buenos Aires and even parts of Uruguay. Fires are marked as red points Delta del Paraná, Argentina April 2008 172974 acres ha yes 2008 2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires Delta del Paraná wildfires The 2008 Delta del Paraná wildfires were a series of wildfires in the Delta del Paraná islands located mainly in Entre Ríos, Argentina. It was an unprecedented event that covered major cities as Buenos Aires and Rosario in smoke, affecting the health of millions of people.Berbery Ernesto Hugo Ciappesoni Hector Kalnay Eugenia 4 November 2008 The smoke episode in Buenos Aires, 15–20 April 208 Geophysical Research Letters 35 21 2008GL035278 10.1029/2008GL035278 2008GeoRL..3521801B free The first fires were detected on 13 April 2008, and lasted until April 25 – 26, when rain extinguished most of them. Buenos Aires was heavily affected between April 15 and April 20.2008-04-20 Buenos Aires still under smoke cloud https://www.france24.com/en/20080420-buenos-aires-still-under-smoke-cloud-argentina 2020-08-04 France 24 en Intentional fires started in April 2008, following the purpose of burning grasslands to adapt the De la Plata Basin wetlands land for a livestock grazing use. However, the drought that this area was experiencing that year turned this fires unmanageable, hitting 172,974 acres (70,000 ha). The cloud of smoke that followed the fires caused the worst air pollution in Argentinean history, reaching even Montevideo, Uruguay and forcing airport and highway closures.Camps Sibila 19 April 2008 El humo provoca la contaminación atmosférica más grave de la historia es-AR Clarín Buenos Aires http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/04/19/sociedad/s-04815.htm 2 August 2020 A significant increase in ocular symptoms and bulbar conjunctival hyperemia, as well as tear film instability was also proven.Berra Martin Galperín Gustavo Dawidowski Laura Tau Julia Márquez Isabel Berra Alejandro Berra Martin Galperín Gustavo Dawidowski Laura Tau Julia Márquez Isabel April 2015 Impact of wildfire smoke in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on ocular surface Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia en 78 2 110–114 10.5935/0004-2749.20150028 25945533 0004-2749 free The fires happened again in 2020, with the 2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires. Location The fires were located in the Paraná Delta islands, part of the Río de la Plata Basin, which ranges from the Entre Ríos to Buenos Aires provinces in Argentina, comprising over 380,000 ha. Context thumb|250x250px|Buffalos in the Delta del Paraná In many areas of the world, including Argentina, burning grasslands is a historical procedure to renew the grass.Andreae M. O. Artaxo P. Brandão C. Carswell F. E. Ciccioli P. Costa A. L. da Culf A. D. Esteves J. L. Gash J. H. C. Grace J. Kabat P. 2002 Biogeochemical cycling of carbon, water, energy, trace gases, and aerosols in Amazonia: The LBA-EUSTACH experiments Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres en 107 D20 LBA 33–1–LBA 33-25 10.1029/2001JD000524 2002JGRD..107.8066A 2156-2202 free 20.500.11820/58ad24fc-ee76-47fb-b7da-203d5667b0a2 free In Argentina, the increase of the soybean price caused the mainland farms (with a better soil) to switch from the more traditional livestock raising activity to soybean farming, displacing the cattle to the less-suitable lands of the Delta islands (its cattleheads raised from 160,000 in 1997 to 1,500,000 in 2007).Quintana Rubén D http://rgdoi.net/10.13140/2.1.2130.0803 Lineamientos para una ganadería ambientalmente sustentable en el Delta del Paraná FUNDACIÓN HUMEDALES / WETLANDS INTERNATIONAL ARGENTINA Bó Roberto F Astrada Elizabeth Reeves Cecilia 2014 Fundación Humedales - Wetlands International es 10.13140/2.1.2130.0803Videla Eduardo 19 April 2008 Lo que se pierde con tanto ganado es-AR Página 12 Buenos Aires https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/subnotas/102719-32357-2008-04-19.html 3 August 202016 April 2008 Cuál es el interés detrás de la quema de pastizales es-AR La Nación Buenos Aires https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/cual-es-el-interes-detras-de-la-quema-de-pastizales-nid1004932/ 3 August 2020 However, the rancher's controlled fires (which are not as frequent during autumn -April on the summer hemisphere- as they are in Spring) are not the only weighting factor of this disaster. A mix of unusual drought and winds contributed to the big scale of the uncontrolled fires. Meanwhile, the government of Argentina was on a fierce confrontation against the rural sector, which lasted about 129 days. Chronology thumb|250x250px|Smoke in Buenos Aires The fires were first detected on April 13, 2008 in a lower scale, and worsening from April 15, 2008 The National Agricultural Technology Institute registered 570 fires and a 172,974 acres (70,000 ha) affected area.Diario 26 18 April 2008 Contabilizan 570 focos de fuego y responsabilizan a los productores nuevos https://www.diario26.com/64551--contabilizan-570-focos-de-fuego-y-responsabilizan-a-los-productores-nuevos 2020-08-04 Canal 26 es-AR By April 14, three fires had burnt 10,000 ha and 200 firemen were working to extinguish them.14 April 2008 Tres incendios en el Delta ya consumieron 10.000 ha es-AR La Nación https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/tres-incendios-en-el-delta-ya-consumieron-10000-ha-nid1004201/ 3 August 2020 On April 17, then-president Cristina Kirchner made its first public appearance since the fires started, criticizing the irresponsibility behind the fires and saying they reminded her of the 1991 Hudson vulcano eruption. The Environment Secretary requested the public to report fires, to speed up the investigation.17 April 2008 Los gobernadores, contra los incendios es-AR La Nación Buenos Aires https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/los-gobernadores-contra-los-incendios-nid1005162/ 3 August 2020 That same day, several accidents related to the smoke in highways caused several deaths.Cecchi Horacio 17 April 2008 Fuego, humo y una nueva tragedia en la ruta es-AR Página 12 Buenos Aires https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/sociedad/3-102561-2008-04-17.html On April 19, Buenos Aires was experiencing eight times more Carbon dioxide than usual (17 ppm), and a twelve times higher amount of ashes in the air. A yellow alert was raised on hospitals (the number of consultations for trouble breathing were 30% higher than normal, 300 people had to be hospitalized), a Subway line was closed, the Buenos Aires city airport closed, and several schools suspended classes. Pharmacies ran out of face masks in a day.Carabajal Gustavo 19 April 2008 Los incendios de pastizales / La Capital, en emergencia. El humo aisló y sofocó a Buenos Aires es-AR La Nación Buenos Aires https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/el-humo-aislo-y-sofoco-a-buenos-aires-nid1005768/ 3 August 20202008-04-17 El humo ahoga Buenos Aires es-AR El País https://elpais.com/internacional/2008/04/18/actualidad/1208469605_850215.html 2020-08-04 1134-6582 Meanwhile, in Zarate (Buenos Aires province), over 200 firemen were trying to extinguish over 300 fires. thumb|Burnt area The Ministry of Interior, Florencio Randazzo, raised criminal charges to 160 ranchers. On April 20, the president made a helicopter flight over the fires, calling the 297 active ones at that date as intentional. Three suspects were arrested for questioning, along with other six persons of interest.Carabajal Gustavo 20 April 2008 Los incendios de pastizales / Novedades judiciales. Tres detenidos por el fuego en el Delta es-AR La Nación https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/tres-detenidos-por-el-fuego-en-el-delta-nid1005997/ 3 August 2020 By April 22, highway crashes caused by the fires' smoke had led to 9 deaths and 40 injured people.22 April 2008 Los accidentes por los incendios ya provocaron 9 muertos es-AR La Nación Buenos Aires https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/los-accidentes-por-los-incendios-ya-provocaron-9-muertos-nid1006481/ 3 August 2020 References Category:2008 wildfires Category:2008 in Argentina Category:Natural disasters in Argentina Category:Wildfires in Argentina Category:Paraná Delta