Fire burns 4000 hectares of virgin forest in Argentina

A major forest fire has burned more than 4000 hectares of a virgin forest in Bariloche, southern part of Argentina.

Rio Villegas (Argentina):The bad weather conditions have intensified the forest fire in Bariloche, southern Argentina, on December 29.

The fire which began on December 7 after a lightning storm in Bariloche in southern Argentina has burned more than 4000 hectares of virgin forest so far.

The strong wind, with gusts surpassing 80km/h, has spread the fires across the main road connecting the city of Bariloche with other parts of western Patagonia.

During the afternoon, the weather transitioned from sunny to windy in a matter of hours, with strong winds and rain from the west, something experts were afraid of, since that could eventually lead the fire towards Rio Villegas, a small town which belongs to El Manso, a farmers area which has around 2000 inhabitants.

The fire advanced towards a hill near, and soon all the forest over there succumbed to flames, forcing authorities to close the national road number 40, which crosses Argentina's west from north to south.

According to the Ambience and Sustainable Development Ministry, which is in charge of the fire's operation, 135 firemen are working on the ground, supported by three aeroplanes and three helicopters.

AP