The University of Chile hosted the 2nd Chile–California Conference on Wildfire Prevention, Management, and Emerging Technologies, with participation from CAL FIRE, CONAF, SENAPRED, government authorities, academia, the private sector, and technology organizations from both Chile and California.
A gathering of authorities and specialists
Participants included:
- Víctor Ramos — Chilean Undersecretary of the Interior
- Alan Espinoza — Undersecretary of Agriculture
- Gloria de la Fuente — Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Rodrigo Illesca — Executive Director of CONAF
- Tatiana Molina — Co-President, Chile California Council
- CAL FIRE delegation
- U.S. Embassy
- Chilean Firefighters
The conference was part of the 2nd Chile–California Mission, focused on strengthening technical cooperation, developing capacities, and advancing the new CAL FIRE–CONAF Memorandum of Understanding.
Innovation, prevention, and community resilience
The two main blocks of the event covered:
- Community prevention and communication strategies: Including insights from the 2025 Los Angeles wildfire, shared by Daniel Berlant, alongside speakers from CONAF, SENAPRED, and the Red de Prevención Comunitaria.
- Technology applied to wildfire response: Christopher Anthony and Nathan Barclay presented early detection tools, drones, AI, and remote sensing technologies, in dialogue with representatives from Google, Earth Fire Alliance, Seneca, Itrend, and CONAF.
A long-term collaboration
“Chile and California share a Mediterranean climate and similar challenges. This collaboration helps us prepare for the summer,” stated Undersecretary Víctor Ramos.
