DREF Operation No: MDRBO019 Bolivia Wildfires Format

What happened, where and when?

Bolivia entered its seasonal dry period (June to September), a period marked by heightened wildre risk, particularly in the eastern and Amazonian regions. This risk is exacerbated by slash-and-burn agricultural practices ("chaqueo"), which often become uncontrolled and lead to large-scale fires. On 25 August, the Bolivian government convened a meeting with the diplomatic corps and international organizations to request support for wildfire response. The discussions included needs for equipment, humanitarian aid, and technical assistance to strengthen the national response. On 20 August 2025, the Bolivian government declared a national emergency through Supreme Decree No. 5447 in response to the escalating wildfire crisis. Santa Cruz and Beni have been identied as the most affected departments.

As of 31 August, three active alerts were in place: one orange alert covering 31 municipalities in Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Beni; a second orange alert aecting 82 municipalities across seven departments; and a wind alert impacting 163 municipalities in Potosí, Oruro, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, and Tarija. On the same date, 855 heat sources were reported, with the highest concentration in Santa Cruz (661), followed by Beni (111), Pando (54), Cochabamba (18), La Paz (13), and Potosí (8). The most intense fire was reported in Parque Nacional Noel Kemp Mercado, located in the department of Santa Cruz. Also, In Parque Nacional Carrasco (Cochabamba), a major fire was brought under control after ve days of coordinated eorts by firefighters and local communities. This emergency is unfolding in the context of Bolivia’s presidential electoral process, currently in its runo phase. This political transition introduces additional complexity to institutional coordination and operational continuity, reinforcing the importance of maintaining robust and fragile mechanisms for humanitarian response.

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