The volunteer fire brigades in the Amazon

Wildfires are a growing problem in Bolivia. They destroy vast areas of land, wiping out native forests as well as the crops that farmers depend on.

Fundación para la Conservación de Bosque Chiquitano (FCBC), together with the Danish organisation Aktion Amazonas, is strengthening volunteer fire brigades so they can protect vital ecosystems while preventing and tackling destructive wildfires.

The first two brigades have been tested as pilots for further upscaling and supporting awareness campaigns on fire prevention and reforestation. They also provide a way for local people to organise themselves and gain influence in their communities.

“Our municipality covers about 9,800 km², with around 5,000 inhabitants. We are two volunteer brigades responsible for the entire area. Luckily, we have not lost any lives so far,” says Pedro Edwin Languidey Silva. Pedro is a trained forestry engineer, living in San Rafael in the Santa Cruz department with his wife and two children. He is also a volunteer firefighter.

FCBC works to secure sustainable livelihoods for local farmers, for example by supporting seed production and forest restoration after wildfires. They also help farmers organise to reduce the impact of the annually recurring forest fires.

Training for Pedro and his fellow volunteers has focused on extinguishing fires effectively while protecting themselves and each other. They have also received equipment to keep them safe during operations.

“We volunteer mostly during fire season. We’ve learnt how to extinguish fires efficiently and create firebreaks to stop them spreading. Sometimes we’re away from home for two or three days, which is hard on our families. But people respect us, and it shows that organising and standing together makes a difference. It’s work we do from the heart.”

The extensive forest fires are one of the many ways in which climate change is felt in San Rafael.

“Climate change is very real here. Some years we don’t get enough rain. Other years we get too much, which causes damage too. I’ve even seen snow, which is very unusual,” Pedro explains.

The wildfires worsened dramatically in 2019, when around 1.7 million hectares of forest went up in flames in Santa Cruz alone. In 2024, Bolivia and neighbouring countries were once again hit by devastating fires, partly driven by El Niño. Roughly 10 million hectares of forest were lost – described as the worst natural disaster in Bolivia’s history.

Climate change also plays a significant role in the extent of the fires:

“Where the rains once came in September, they now arrive in December — a shift that leaves the land highly vulnerable to fires,” Pedro says. “Together with FCBC, we are looking for solutions that protect the forest and allow us to live in harmony with nature, contributing to a sustainable future for us all.”

Fire prevention work in San Rafael in the Santa Cruz department builds on the knowledge and experience gained by FCBC and Aktion Amazonas through humanitarian responses to the major forest fires of 2019 and again in 2024.

So far, 25 volunteer brigades have been established through this partnership.