Government orders suspension of use of firearms by civilians in areas affected by forest fires

The Government of President Gabriel Boric ordered – through an exempt resolution – the suspension of the use of firearms by civilians in the sectors affected by the forest fires that hit the south-central area of the country.
The above, after a few days ago the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma) denounced an armed attack suffered by a helicopter that was helping in the combat work against forest disasters in the province of Arauco.
Along these lines, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá pointed out that “we are especially concerned that we have had some reports that have had brigade members in La Araucanía, and also in Bio Bío. In particular, Tirúa is now worried, where there is a fire that is of attention.”
Given this, in exempt resolution No. 471 of the Ministry of Defense, signed by the General Directorate of National Mobilization of Chile (DGMN), it is maintained that “it is a public and notorious fact that some brigade members who fight the aforementioned forest fires have been attacked and / or threatened with firearms.”
“Likewise, it has been known that some aircraft that fight the fire have been hit by shots of this type of weapons,” they add.
Thus, “it is appropriate, considering the special circumstances described above and the state of emergency declared in the aforementioned regions, to limit during the validity of this some of the authorizations granted under the Law on Arms Control.”
This determination “will facilitate the designated authorities to carry out the controls required in these situations and will make it possible to avoid inconveniences due to misunderstandings that may arise particularly with respect to transfers of firearms, their parts, devices, parts or ammunition”.
In this way, it is ordered to suspend “in the regions of Ñuble and Bio Bío, during the validity of the state of constitutional exception, the authorizations for the transport of firearms, their parts, devices, pieces or ammunition for the purpose of hunting, sport or shooting practice and authorizations for the operation of shooting clubs.”

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Original source in Spanish