BUENOS AIRES: Firefighters in Argentina were battling an “out of control” blaze in a national park in Patagonia on Saturday, struggling to keep it from reaching two nearby towns.
The fire in Los Alerces National Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – has already charred about 600 hectares (1500 acres).
Temperatures in Patagonia, a normally cold and windy region in Argentina’s far south, have topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the southern hemisphere summer, with two provinces declaring states of emergency due to fire risk until April.
Los Alerces Park features glacier-carved landscapes including rivers and lakes, and pristine forests of alerce trees, the second-longest living tree species in the world.
Source: Emirates News Agency