an “out of control” fire destroys nearly 600 hectares of a forest classified as a UNESCO heritage site

This forest is located in Patagonia, experiencing record temperatures of over 40°C.

He is “out of control”. Argentine firefighters are battling a fire that broke out in Los Alerces National Park, in Patagonia, the official Télam news agency reported on Saturday (January 27). The flames have already devastated nearly 600 hectares of this UNESCO World Heritage site. It must be said that in the heart of the southern summer, record temperatures of more than 40°C are hitting Argentine Patagonia these days, a desert region in the far south of the country, usually cold and windy.

Brigadiers and personnel from Chubut province were trying to prevent the flames from reaching the neighboring towns of Esquel and Trevelin, about 2,000 km southwest of Buenos Aires. “The fire is out of control”, said Mario Cardenas, head of the national park’s fire, communications and emergency department. The fire broke out Thursday evening and has already burned more than 577 hectares of forest, extending beyond the perimeter of the park, he added.

Unfavorable weather conditions

Conditions “are unfavorable, because we still have a lot of wind and high temperatures. This makes our work very difficult”, added Mario Cardenas. The situation may indeed not get better: lhe heat peak in Patagonia is expected to persist throughout the week and extend north to the central and most populous provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Cordoba and Entre Rios, according to forecasts from Argentina’s national weather service.

On its Instagram account, Los Alerces National Park reported that a drone flew over the area on Friday to assess the progress of the fire. Fire teams from Esquel and Trevelin were deployed “to protect towns close to fire”added the emergency services.