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Wildfire ravages massive section of Argentine forest
A wildfire raging in the south of Argentina has consumed a vast swathe of forestland in three days, local authorities said Wednesday, an area half the size of Liechtenstein. About a hundred fire fighters, 26 fire engines, two water-bombing helicopters and two aircraft are fighting to contain the blaze in a region unaccustomed to forest fires. The blaze, its origins unknown, is threatening a vast region around El Bolson, a town of some 18 000 inhabitants in the Rio Negro province in northern Patagonia. By Wednesday, 27 January 2021, it had destroyed some 8 500 hectares. Vegetation parched by recent drought, high temperatures and strong winds have complicated the fire fighting effort. El Bolson civil protection official Leandro Romairone said rain was expected later Wednesday but "not enough to have a decisive impact on fire fighting." No populated area is immediately threatened, and "no evacuation is planned at this time," he added. At least four fire fighters have been treated in hospital for injuries sustained in the line of duty.
Source: AFP |
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