Forest fires rip through Córdoba and nine other provinces
Hundreds of firefighters battled to put out forest fires throughout the country this week, with the worst outbreaks recorded in Córdoba Province.
Thousands of hectares in the region were still aflame on Thursday, as efforts to quench the flames were hit by adverse conditions with high temperatures and strong winds.
As of Friday morning, several outbreaks were raging in as many as nine provinces nationwide, according to the Environment Ministry.
During the day, at least 10 planes and one helicopter took to the skies above Córdoba to study the path of the outbreaks and drop water. The worst fires were seen in the Punilla Valley and in Altas Cumbres, west of the provincial capital, local officials said.
Local firefighters have been backed up by national park workers, federal police officers and the Army in their fight against the flames.
According to authorities in Córdoba, at least three firefighters were injured this week, with two suffering severe burns, while more than 30 people were evacuated from their homes.
Fires have been a major issue in several regions of Argentina over the past few months. In total nine provinces have been affected by fires, namely Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca, Santiago del Estero, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. Entre Ríos and Córdoba are the two most affected regions, with more than 165,000 and 48,000 hectares destroyed respectively.
Authorities estimated that around 95 percent of forest fires are started intentionally, for the most part to create new grazing areas for cattle.