Wildfire Consumes 3,500 Hectares in Argentina's National Park
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Buenos Aires, Jan 11 (NationPress) The wildfire in Argentina's Nahuel Huapi National Park has so far destroyed over 3,500 hectares, local authorities reported.
Following several reconnaissance flights, the fire's perimeter was updated with greater accuracy, estimating an affected area of 3,527 hectares, the park's administration stated in a press release on Friday.
The area was enveloped in smoke Friday morning, which drifted across nearby valleys, obstructing aerial operations to combat the blaze.
Access from Los Rapidos to the Circuito Cascada los Alerces region will remain conditionally restricted over the weekend, permitting only authorized vehicles from official institutions and local residents, it added.
As of December 27, 2024, the wildfire had devastated around 1,450 hectares of this iconic national park, according to Xinhua news agency.
The fire ignited on December 25, 2024, in the southern part of the park and has progressed towards the northern end of Lake Martin, encroaching upon an area previously ravaged by wildfires in 2022.
For safety reasons, trails in the southern and central regions of the protected area have been closed, the park administration announced.
The report indicated that 46 firefighters were deployed to bolster firefighting efforts in the rear section of the blaze and to enhance escape routes to safeguard their safety, noting that poor visibility due to wildfire smoke has made aerial operations impossible.
According to local officials, smoke from the wildfire "is already impacting the city of Bariloche," one of Argentina's premier tourist destinations, famous for its ski slopes in winter and stunning lakes and mountains in summer.
Founded in 1934, Nahuel Huapi National Park covers 710,000 hectares across the southern provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro. It is Argentina's first national park, safeguarding Andean ecosystems in northern Patagonia, water basins, wildlife, and a rich cultural heritage.
