Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Massive fires encroached upon Argentina’s central Cordoba province overnight, destroying dozens of homes, forcing hundreds to evacuate and killing farm animals amid an intense heat wave.
Footage posted online of Villa Carlos Paz – a resort city of 56,000 people – showed flames surrounding homes as black smoke billowed into the sky. More than 600 families were evacuated.
A resident helps to fight the fires in Cordoba province, Argentina.Credit: AP
“Currently a dozen homes have been totally or partially destroyed by the fire,” a volunteer at a local fire service said. “Three hundred people have been compulsorily evacuated, and 300 have self evacuated.”
“Civilians are suffering breathing difficulties, and there are a large number of dead farm animals. The fire remains active,” the volunteer added.
Nearly one thousand firefighters – many of whom are volunteers – were called upon to tackle the blaze.
Eight firefighting planes and two helicopters were also deployed. Local media reported that residents attempted to moisten the land with water from their swimming pools.
The governor of Cordoba, Juan Schiaretti, asked people to evacuate.
“I call on the population to respect the indications of the firefighters and authorities who are working in the affected areas,” he said.
“The most important thing is to save lives; wherever evacuation is necessary, it will be done.”
Carla Bruno, the interim mayor of affected Cabalango, told local media: “It is a catastrophe. The waterfront caught fire. This is a disaster. You can’t breathe in the town any more. I hope more reinforcements arrive, we lack resources, we can’t take it any more.”
Firefighters work on flames of a forest fire on the outskirts of Villa Carlos Paz.Credit: AP
There were five active wildfires in the region on Tuesday, according to Argentina’s National Fire Management Service.
Local media reported that a 27-year-old man, accused of starting a fire earlier this week, was detained.
The man reportedly told police he started a campfire to make coffee and lost control of the flames due to strong winds.
The firefighting service said the conditions were “absolutely unfavourable” due to an unprecedented heat wave of 37 degrees, low humidity and strong winds of up to 22 miles per hour. The country is also experiencing a historic drought.
The fire service volunteer told The Telegraph: “The conditions were conducive to the occurrence of forest fires, since the drought season was in full swing in the central area of Argentina.
“The forest fire entered urban areas, completely and partially burning structures, making it a forest-urban interface fire.”
The Telegraph, London
Most Viewed in World
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article