An evaluation of the forest fire that struck Altos de Cantillana during January 2012, caused by human carelessness, evidences the great threat of extinction faced by the small lizard called "Torcuato" or "Gruñidor de Valeria" (Pristidactylus valeriae), endemic to this private park belonging to the ASI Conserva Chile network.  The torcuatos habitat are beech forests of the  "Roble de Santiago" formation, on north-facing slopes. This type o forests have practically no natural regenaration capacity, given that they originated under different cimate conditions which predominated in the area during the last glacial period, 10 to 20 thousand years ago. While beech forests on south-facing slopes over 1500 meters are relatively extensive, they are sparse on their north-facing equivalents. 

The "Gruñidor de Valeria" only exists in Cantillana, and within this reserve, only the few beech forests on north-facing slopes, of which more than 30% recently burned. The reptile was already severly endangered before the catastrophe, due to pressures on its habitat, and illegal capture for sale as mascots. Currently, there are efforts undeway to try and reproduce the Torcuato ex-situ, due to the evident danger of passing into the list of extint species.   At the beginning of January, a forest fire that started on a parcel of land adjacent to  the Reserva Altos de Cantillana, rose through a gully that rises like a wedge into the reserve, and reached the high-elevation beech forests. Although most of the reserve remained untouched, Joaquin Solo de Zaldivar, the project´s coordinator, assured that they spent many hours in anguish, but believe the intrinsic value that is now recognized in the Resrve, helped CONAF react in timely and professional manner.   

The Altos de Cantillana Corporation has declared the site to be a Nature Sanctuary, however, it does not have access to the resources necessary to properly control the area, lead the necessary environmental education efforts and the soil restoration efforts that the Torcuato so urgently needs. The summer tragedy of the forest fire, reveals the urgency caused by human threats.

The Cantillana plateou is an area of high environmental value, characterized by elevated levels of regional endemism and species variety. It is located to the south-west of Chile´s Metropolitan Region, and includes areas of the districts of Alhué, Isla de Maipo, Melipilla, Paine, and San Pedro. The Reserve has large and varied areas of non-impacted vegetation, 40% of it endemic. The vegetaion of this mountaineous area is in addition essential as a protective blanket to the area´s main source of superficial and groundwater, mostly used by the agricultural sector. It is also the main source of potable water for neighboring towns, and the El Yali wetland.