September 26

During the 2023 Latin American Agricultural Aviation Congress, organized by ANEPA (National Association of Private Agricultural Aviation Companies), in Termas del Arapey from August 16 to 18, a day of reflection, analysis and continuous improvement of forest fire fighting activity was held

The event included participation from SINAE (National Emergency System), the National Fire Department, the Air Force (DINACIA), Naval Aviation, the Forestry Producers Society, Montes del Plata, UPM, and, of course, ANEPA (National Association of Forestry Producers). The discussions focused on the evolution of forest fire suppression in Uruguay, the organization of the emergency response system, the unified command system, and simulation exercises.

The various work protocol systems were presented, both individually and collectively, for which operations were carried out since the major fires of 2021-2022 in order to anticipate and improve activities with a greater number of available agricultural aircraft.

Analyzing the changes implemented since then and the collaborative efforts, previous fire prevention activities were reviewed. The firefighting efforts carried out during the 2022-2023 season and the success achieved were evaluated, particularly in the coastal area, where the efficiency and effectiveness of using agricultural aircraft in fighting forest fires were evident.

It is not yet possible to quantitatively assess the achievements, due to the nature of the combat, which is fast and highly effective, and which, together with the early detection systems, prevented the fires from spreading.

ANEPA continues to constantly evaluate and train its companies and pilots, bringing advanced technology and perfecting what is here, every day of the year throughout the country, with a unique fleet of more than 100 aircraft.

The challenge is to continue working as a team and improving together every day.