Perilous
Times
Chile: Raging Wildfire races through Patagonia forests
by Staff Writers
Santiago (AFP) Dec 29, 2011
A fire has destroyed or seriously damaged 1,500 hectares (3,700
acres) of vegetation in a Patagonia nature preserve in southern
Chile, forcing the evacuation of 400 people, officials said
Thursday.
"We are facing an extremely dangerous and complex fire as we have
experienced very hostile climate conditions so far and forecasts
say it will stay that way" on Friday, Interior Minister Rodrigo
Hinzpeter said.
"The topography is hindering the efforts of rescue workers to
reach the area and fight the fire, while the vegetation remains
highly combustible."
He said the conditions made it "impossible" to estimate how long
it would take to control the blaze.
The fire at Torres del Paine National Park that began on Tuesday
near a trail according to Hinzpeter.
Glaciers and Andean lakes lie alongside natural forests and the
Patagonian steppe at the semi-desert nature preserve visited by
several thousand tourists each year.
Over 110 Chilean fire workers and forest rangers were battling the
fire, along with a couple dozen colleagues from neighboring
Argentina. A firefighting support helicopter was due to arrive
later in the day, along with 50 additional fire crew members.