On February 1, 2025, a severe forest fire near El Bolsón, Río Negro, consumed more than 1,600 hectares and destroyed several homes. This prompted an unprecedented evacuation operation for over 700 backpackers who were stranded in a network of 12 mountain shelters in the Río Azul area.
Due to the lack of cellular and internet service, the shelter staff communicated via radio with the operations center in the Patagonian city to organize the lengthy descents of the evacuees.