The fire which destroyed around 600 hectares of the Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Argentine Patagonia, is of criminal origin, local authorities have denounced.
“We have confirmation that the fire broke out intentionally
,” said Ignacio Torres, the governor of Chubut province who flew over the area on Sunday.
“Those responsible for the start of the fire will have to answer before the courts
,” he added, demanding
“exemplary treatment”
.
Dozens of firefighters continue to battle the fire that has ravaged the park for three days, to prevent the flames from reaching the neighboring towns of Esquel and Trevelin, located some 2,000 kilometers southwest of Buenos Aires .
Record temperatures of over 40°C
In an interview with Rivadavia radio, the governor suspected members of the
“Mapuche Ancestral Resistance”
(RAM) of having caused the fire.
This radical but marginal group of the indigenous community claims land taken by the state in the 19th century and fights against logging.
A helicopter carries water to fight the flames.
STRINGER / REUTERS
Ignacio Torres, however, highlighted the difference between the indigenous community
“who work very well”
and the members of the RAM accused of being
“liars”
and of engaging in
“real estate activities”
.
In the heart of the southern summer, record temperatures of more than 40°C are hitting Argentina's Patagonia these days, a usually cold and windy desert region in the far south of the country.
Los Alerces Park, classified by UNESCO in 2017, covers nearly 190,000 hectares.
Successive glaciations have shaped the region's landscape and created a variety of spectacular forms, glacial cirques, strings of ponds, clear-water lakes, hanging valleys, roches montagne and valleys.