Wildfire hotspots reignite in Patagonia, flames rage on in south-central Chile

Several hotspots of the wildfire that began in the touristic area of Puerto Patriada, Chubut, in the Patagonia region, reignited on Monday due to the heat and dry weather. Almost 15,000 hectares of native forest and implanted vegetation have been consumed since the fires began on January 5.  The fire, which is affecting the Epuyén-El Hoyo areas, is contained since last Wednesday, according to Chubut’s Fire Management Provincial Service (SPMF, by its Spanish initials). This means that, although there are still active hotspots, firefighters have been able to make a barrier around the fire’s perimeter to stop it from spreading further. According to local media outlets, firefighters had to intensify their efforts on Monday after a few days of calm, in which they had been able to control several of the main hotspots.  A large column of smoke was visible from several points of the area known as Comarca Andina on Monday, suggesting the flames had reactivated. “Past noon, several hotspots reignited and staff worked with manual tools and assistance of aerial devices,” said a report published in the SPMF social media accounts on Monday. They added that “dangerous conditions will drastically increase” in the area. The report said that the hotspots that reignited on Monday afternoon were located in the canyons in El Trueno and Bahía Las Percas, as well as in a field area in Payan Delgado. There were also reactivated hotspots in El Coihue, Arroyo Las Minas, La Burrada, El Pedregoso and Rincón de Lobos. As of Monday night, firefighters and other staff were still working in the affected areas. They were planning to assess the situation and plan further tasks on Tuesday, the report said. Manuel Hidalgo, a firefighter who suffered burns on more than half of his body last week, was transferred on Monday from a Bariloche hospital to another in Trelew, where he will remain in intensive care and undergo reconstructive plastic surgery, his family said. The wildfire began on January 5 in Puerto Patriada, near the Epuyén lake, and spread to surrounding areas, affecting vegetation, animals and at least 20 homes. The provincial government said it was manmade. Meanwhile, another wildfire in the Los Alerces National Park, in Chubut, remains active, as the provincial firefighters work with national police forces, the military and park rangers to extinguish it.  Other fires in the Argentine Patagonia, like in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz) and others in Chubut and Bariloche (Río Negro) are currently contained. Fires in Chile Tragedy continues to unfold in the Ñuble and Biobío regions, in the south-central area just above the Chilean Patagonia, where wildfires began on Saturday.  On Monday, an additional victim was confirmed, bringing the death toll to 20. Authorities are still searching for more victims in the rubble of affected areas. In addition, 590 homes and seven schools have been destroyed by the flames, while four hospitals have been affected. According to official data, 19 people died in Biobío, and one was killed by the fires in Ñuble. The Legal Medical Service has identified six of the victims so far. Information from Chile’s National Service for Prevention and Response during Disasters states that 76 people have been injured, 573 had to be taken to shelters, and over 7,000 have been affected by the fires. There are currently 28 active fires. One man was arrested on Monday, accused of attempting to start a fire, although it remains unclear how the fires began on Saturday. Two other people have been arrested for not complying with the curfew currently in place in certain areas of Concepción province, in the Biobío region.