Juan Molina is head of the voluntary firefighters of Malagueño, a city located near Córdoba in northern Argentina, where this year’s fire season has been particularly intense.
Every year between August and October the mountains that surround the town of Córdoba become a raging inferno and the battle to save the forests, indigenous wildlife and livestock is waged by firefighters and locals alike. This year, for the first time they are being supported in their fight by CNH Industrial N.V. and its global agricultural machinery brand, Case IH who have launched a campaign to help the local firefighters and the area recover from the impact of the wildfires.
Startling aerial shots
The opening scenes of the video contain some startling aerial shots of the fires spreading rapidly across the mountains, of the devastation they cause and of the firefighters themselves engaged in an unrelenting struggle to control the flames.
The numbers are mind boggling: more than 5,000 forest fires in the area in the last 20 years
The numbers are mind boggling: more than 5,000 forest fires in the area in the last 20 years, more than 700,000 hectares razed to the ground and in 2020 alone, over 42,000 hectares in Cordoba destroyed by fire. The long-term effects of these fires take their toll not only on the area’s agriculture, plant life and livestock but on the firefighters themselves.
Starting reforestation program
And this is where CNH Industrial comes in. The Company is piloting an initiative which is structured around three main focus points: to provide help for the livestock and fauna caught up in the wildfires; start a reforestation program; and finally the donation of state-of-the-art firefighting equipment to the weary men and women of the firefighting units.
No wonder Juan Molina and Catalina share a hopeful smile. The December rains will signal the end of this year’s fire season but for now they are grateful for the support of CNH Industrial, its volunteers and donations which will help ease the pressure in the coming weeks.
