Wildfires in south Argentina rip through around 12,000 hectares of forest

MONTEVIDEO: Raging wildfires in the Argentine Patagonia have blazed through nearly 12,000 hectares of scrubland and planted and native forests, threatening local communities, according to firefighting authorities.

The fires started almost a week ago in the Andean region of the Argentine province of Chubut and are putting a power plant and a school at risk as well as affecting rural properties, the authorities said on Sunday.

The causes of the fires have not yet been established, but Chubut Gov Ignacio Torres told journalists on Thursday there are indications that one of the biggest active fires was deliberately set.

“The wretches who started the fire are going to end up in jail,” Torres said, while announcing a reward of 50

million pesos (approximately $34,000) for anyone who provides information about the incident. Volunteer firefighter Jorge Aranea in El Hoyo was battling to control the flames on Friday.

“It’s sad to see everything burning. And sometimes you do what you can and it’s not enough. What’s happening is terrible,” he said.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Saturday offered to help the Argentine government combat the active fire fronts.agencies