On Saturday, firefighters in Argentina were battling an out-of-control blaze in a national park in Patagonia, trying to keep it from spreading to two surrounding towns.
The fire in Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has now charred approximately 600 hectares (1500 acres).
“The fire is out of control”, said Mario Cardenas, the park’s director of fire, communications, and emergency services.
“Conditions are unfavorable because we still have a lot of wind and high temperatures. This makes our work very difficult”, Cardenas continued.
Temperatures in Patagonia, a typically frigid and windy region in Argentina’s far south, have risen over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) this summer, prompting two provinces to declare states of emergency until April owing to a fire risk.
Rescue personnel in Chubut province were attempting to keep flames from reaching the cities of Esquel and Trevelin, located some 2,000 kilometres (1,242 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires.
Los Alerces Park is home to glacier-carved landscapes such as rivers and lakes, as well as pristine forests of alerce trees, the world’s second-longest living species.
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