BOLIVIA 2025

Wildfires have been wreaking havoc in Bolivia, overwhelming the first responders. In 2024, the wildfires burned out of control over the course of the summer, and swept across rural parts of the country. Bolivia saw the largest number of wildfires since 2010 with at least 10 million hectares burned by October 2024. Given the magnitude of the emergency, the Bolivian government declared a national emergency on 8 September 2024, followed by the declaration of a national disaster on 30 September 2024. 67 municipalities were affected, of which at least 23 declared a state of disaster by October 2024. The national disaster declaration remained in effect until 29 May 2025.

Many of the fires were linked to agricultural expansion as fires are used to clear land for crops. The legal and illegal intentional fires burned out of control and destroyed homes, crops and livelihoods. The fires caused irreparable damage to ecosystems, biodiversity, and water sources, with long-term consequences for the region’s natural resources and environmental recovery.

The smoke caused dangerous levels of air pollution, especially in Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando, impacting public health and forcing closures of schools and outdoor activities. The air pollution caused lung and eye irritation and frequent headaches.

Bolivia's firefighting forces are stretched thin, and the government called for international aid. Indigenous volunteers tried to protect land they use to grow crops and feed livestock near the Chiquitano forest north of Concepcion that extends towards Brazil and Paraguay, but many lacked sufficient equipment to extinguish the fires and were forced to evacuate. Communities need simple solutions to help protect themselves from devastating wildfires.

In 2024, GlobalFire's sister charity, GlobalMedic, responded to the wildfire crisis in Bolivia. The RescUAV team first deployed to provide local first responders with training and equipment to monitor and fight wildfires more efficiently and safely. The second part of the response focused on providing Bolivian first responders with fire skids to increase their response capabilities and equipment. GlobalMedic's fire skids, which are designed to fit in the back of a pickup truck and include 1000L tanks, pumps, and fire hoses, were the perfect solution. Multiple Rapid Response Teams have traveled from Canada to Bolivia to distribute 45 fire skids. 

When possible, Rapid Response Teams have brought GlobalFire donations of PPE in their checked luggage to further reinforce the capacity of Bolivian firefighters. Between November 2024 and September 2025, four Rapid Response Teams have delivered the following gear to Bolivian fire departments:

3 SCBA (Backplate, Bottle, Facepiece)
20 pairs of boots
16 sets of bunker gear
4 helmets