The municipality of Juan Fernández gets its first Unimog.
The Juan Fernández archipelago is located 600 km off mainland Chile. It is a region where nature calls the shots, far away from external help. As a result, islanders have had to battle the elements alone... until now. A true off-road pro has arrived to help: the Unimog U 5000 is the municipality's very first fire-fighting vehicle. It's a historic milestone.
One which has made rapid aid a reality.
It’s a picture book landscape, but also logistically challenging for rescue workers. The islands of the municipality of Juan Fernández are characterised by their dense vegetation. But a lot of greenery also means a lot of tinder. Exposed to strong Pacific winds, the islands are extremely vulnerable to potentially devastating fires.
And to make things even harder, they are located around 600 km off mainland Chile. If there's an emergency out here, there's no help from neighbouring communities to rely on. In addition, the Archipiélago de Juan Fernández National Park has been designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, meaning that extreme caution must be taken in emergency situations in order not to endanger the sensitive, local biodiversity. This requires rescue workers who know every inch of the challenging terrain. And a vehicle that supports them uncompromisingly.
