The Valley Chronicle - CAL FIRE Renews Partnership with Chile’s National Forestry Corporation to Advance Wildfire Prevention and Climate Resilience

Sacramento — CAL FIRE is proud to announce the renewal of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), reaffirming a longstanding international partnership focused on wildfire prevention, emergency response, and climate resilience. The renewed partnership, executed on December 23, 2025, builds on more than a decade of collaboration between California and Chile through the Chile–California Council.

CAL FIRE and CONAF began working together in the early 2010s, with the first formal partnrship signed on November 10, 2016. Since that time, the partnership has supported the exchange of best practices, professional training, and technical expertise to better protect communities, firefighters, and natural resources. CAL FIRE also provided technical support to Chile during their 2017 wildfires, reinforcing the value of shared operational knowledge during large-scale emergencies.

In 2024, CAL FIRE expanded its cooperation with CONAF, building on a long-standing relationship that includes mutual aid deployments and technical exchanges. This collaboration has led to joint wildfire simulation exercises, shared research on fire behavior in Mediterranean climates, and the development of bilingual training modules for wildland firefighting.

Through this partnership, both agencies have advanced community-based fire prevention efforts, recognizing that most wildfires are caused by human activity. Joint exchanges have focused on public education, defensible space, home hardening, fuel reduction, and mitigation strategies in the wildland-urban interface.

In recent years, the partnership has expanded to include aerial firefighting and emerging technologies. In October 2025, CAL FIRE participated in the 2nd Chile–California Mission on Wildfire Prevention, Management, and Emerging Technologies, emphasizing lessons learned from recent catastrophic wildfires and the role of innovation in strengthening resilience.

“This renewed partnership reflects CAL FIRE’s commitment to global leadership in wildfire management and climate adaptation,” said Matthew Sully, CAL FIRE Deputy Director for Cooperative Fire. “By working with international partners like CONAF, we strengthen our programs in California while supporting safer communities worldwide.”

CAL FIRE’s International Program currently maintains MOUs with partners in six countries, underscoring its mission to protect lives, property, and natural resources through collaboration and shared learning.