New forest fires in Patagonia, southern Argentina, injured seven people on Wednesday, 15 are missing and 200 others were evacuated, while around 100 homes were attacked by flames, authorities said.
The affected areas are forests of the pre-Andes Cordillera, around Lake Puelo, a popular area for tourists, in the province of Chubut.
Read also: Argentina: 6,500 hectares of forest ravaged by fires in the south of the country
At the end of January, a fire had destroyed 6,500 hectares of forests in a depopulated area in the neighboring province of Rio Negro.
"I am going to file a complaint because these are fires of criminal origin",
denounced the Minister of the Environment Juan Cabandié during a press conference.
"Fifteen people are missing because several homes have been declared simultaneously and more than 100 houses have been affected,"
said the minister.
Some 200 people had to be evacuated with
"a provisional toll of seven wounded, including one serious,"
said the mayor of Lago Puelo, Augusto Sanchez.
The federal government sent a water bomber and 40 firefighters to reinforce the 60 fighting the flames.
Last year, fires ravaged tens of thousands of hectares in Argentina.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, 95% of these fires are of criminal origin, for agricultural or real estate purposes.