A veteran wildfire leader with Chile’s National Forestry Corporation has retired after a 50-year career focused on forest fire prevention, emergency response and protected area management.
René Cifuentes Medina completed his final day with CONAF Magallanes on August 31, ending five decades of public service that included senior roles in wildfire operations across one of Chile’s most remote regions.
Cifuentes began his CONAF career in 1976 at Torres del Paine National Park, where he served as chief park ranger during the early development of the protected area. He later became park administrator from 1981 to 1983.
He subsequently held protection and ranger management roles at Lago Peñuelas National Reserve in the Valparaíso Region before moving into wildfire management in 1987 as head of operations for the Fire Management Program in Magallanes.
From 2000, Cifuentes served as regional head of the program, now the Department of Protection Against Forest Fires (DEPRIF), helping coordinate early response teams, logistics, personnel and interagency operations with public bodies, the armed forces and civil protection organizations.
His work also included technical cooperation with incident management teams, operational planning and support for strengthening wildfire management systems on Easter Island.
Between 2014 and 2016, he led the Ecosystems and Society Section of CONAF Magallanes’ Forestry Department, overseeing urban and peri-urban tree planting, public space recovery, green area improvements and community environmental projects.
Cifuentes was recognized by regional authorities and colleagues as he closed his CONAF career, including during his final appearance representing the agency at a tourism and safety seminar.
He was one of seven CONAF Magallanes officials who retired on the same day. The group also included Roberto Fernández, Marcelo Alvarez, Milson Cárdenas, Victor Agüero, Juan Toro and Héctor Galaz, whose combined service reflected decades of work in parks, environmental inspection, administration and wildfire protection.
