to updateThe city of Patagonia, in the far south of Latin America, is witnessing record temperatures exceeding 40 degrees these days. On Thursday, this led to a serious fire in Los Alerces National Park in Argentina, which is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The fire has already destroyed nearly 600 hectares and has not yet been brought under control. This was announced by the official Argentine news agency, Telam, on Saturday.
The Chubut District Fire Brigade is trying to prevent the fire from spreading to the neighboring cities of Eskil and Trevelin. The National Fire Brigade is also sending reinforcements, including personnel and two aircraft, to fight the fires. This was announced by the Argentine government on Saturday evening, local time.
Weather conditions are already unfavorable, as it remains warm with maximum temperatures above 25 degrees and there are strong winds. The first rain is not expected until Wednesday, according to current forecasts. A state of emergency was declared in the area.
Los Alerces National Park covers approximately 260,000 hectares, roughly the size of the province of Antwerp, and consists of a glacier-shaped landscape with rivers and lakes. The park was established in 1937 to protect pristine forests of yers trees, the second longest-living tree species in the world. One of the specimens in the park is at least 2,600 years old, according to the website of the Argentine Park Agency.
The fire started on Thursday evening near Bahia Rosales in two different places close to each other, according to the Argentine newspaper Pagina 12. The spread of the fire caused the two fires to merge to become one fire, which moved from an area of 65 hectares of local forest to 577 hectares and is still expanding.
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