Bolivia's Tarija forest fires controlled after emergency response

In July 2026, forest fires burned roughly 5,000 hectares in Bolivia's Tarija department, prompting a state of emergency. The government mobilised a large‑scale operation that included 287 military personnel, 30 police officers, 50 volunteer firefighters and two Air Force helicopters equipped with Bambi Buckets. Over 18 hours the aircraft made about 150 water drops, releasing roughly 154,000 liters to suppress the flames.

Minister of Defense Ernesto Justiniano announced on 22 July that the fires were fully controlled and the brigades began to withdraw, while a single suspect was detained for allegedly starting the blaze. Ongoing monitoring continues because strong winds could reactivate isolated hotspots.

Mayor Johnny Torres, who thanked the emergency teams, proposed creating a permanent guardaparques corps to prevent future incidents. A national report later showed a 55 % decline in heat‑spot detections, with 526 hotspots recorded across the country, down from more than 1,000 the previous day.