Wildfires threaten Argentinean national park by Frances Runnalls
Over the past two days a number of wildfires have been burning in the Patagonia region of Argentina, threatening to destroy part of the historic national park. The Alerces National Park is a protected area of just over 600,000 acres, located in the Andes region of Argentina, close to the Chilean border.
A state of emergency was declared in five districts in the province, where the fire has now charred more than 7000 acres of land, a third of which was in the national park.
The fires have been fuelled by strong winds, and intensified by the regions hot, dry climate. The National Meteorological service in Argentina has forecast rain over the next few days which should help to contain the flames.
Wild fires are common across many parts of the world, and can cause significant devastation if they are not controlled. Last year wild fires across Greece became some of the deadliest in the world, killing over 60 people and forcing thousands to evacuate.
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