Firebreaks that nourish: the potato harvest that transforms prevention into development in La Araucanía

In the middle of the rural landscape of Ercilla, where productive forests coexist with communities historically linked to the land, an innovative form of fire prevention is bearing fruit—literally. These are the so-called green firebreaks, an initiative that today shows concrete results in the Sara Malleco sector, through a potato harvest that combines safety, collaboration, and local development. Starting from noon, neighbors began to gather around an activity deeply rooted in peasant life: the harvest. But this time, it was not just about collecting food, but about demonstrating a model that transforms traditionally passive spaces—such as firebreaks—into active, productive, and community zones. Claudio Cid Bascur, Head of Territorial Relationship Area of the Victoria Area of CMPC, explained that this experience is developed in an interface zone between forest plantations and communities, where more than half a hectare was enabled for potato cultivation. "The main objective is to ...