Very recently we witnessed major forest fires destroying large parts of areas across Latin America. Namely, in the 5th Region in Chile the Las Tablas-Lago Peñuelas fire, in the Valparaíso-Viña del Mar area, claimed the lives of 133 people and destroyed several thousand homes. The fire started on the 2nd of February 2024 and the major destruction occurred the next day.
Just a few days later, on 15 February 2024, David Caballero from our Spanish partner MeteoGrid (MTG), who is an instructor on wildfires for the Military Emergency Unit (UME – Spanish Army), participated in the training activities related to the one-week CMLCIF-24 course at Toledo Military Academy.
During his presentation, he had the opportunity to introduce and discuss in detail the dramatic fires in Chile. He provided real-time monitoring of the events and maintained contact with the Dispatchers Committee. Subsequently, an analysis of meteorological conditions and the behaviour of the wildfire was conducted.
He also presented the latest advancements in numerical simulation and immersive visual simulation developed within the HiDALGO2 project, showcasing its potential application as a tool for future training of the Unit on the subject of wildfires.
The UME is a unit dedicated to responding to and supporting major disasters in Spain, and it is also deployed to other regions globally upon the request of affected governments. The UME maintains a high level of technological expertise and training in all types of disasters, both natural and technologically induced.
