Wall of fire: Terrifying footage shows flames surrounding Argentinian city of Villa Carlos Paz as residents besieged by acrid smog are evacuated
Wall of fire: Horrifying footage shows flames engulfing the Argentinian town of Villa Carlos Paz as residents besieged by thick smog are evacuated
- Flames engulfed Argentina’s Cordoba region as fires raged across the country
- People frantically evacuated the resort town, which has a population of 56,000
- Almost 1,000 firefighters are working to extinguish the fast-moving blaze
Horrifying footage has shown a wall of fire surrounding an Argentine city as a raging inferno prompted mass evacuations.
Almost 1,000 firefighters were deployed to Villa Carlos Paz in the central province of Córdoba as the fires raged out of control.
Footage from the area showed massive flames in the hills surrounding populated areas as firefighters battled flames that had reached several homes in the region.
It was not immediately known how many homes were affected, but dozens of people were evacuated.
Ulises Xarate, 27, is in custody accused of starting a fire Monday afternoon in an area near the town of Villa Carlos Paz in the province’s Punilla region.
He reportedly told officers he wanted to start a campfire to make coffee, but lost control of the flames due to strong winds in the area.
Video from the Argentine province shows a “wall of fire” rapidly engulfing the city in black smoke (photo: Villa Carlos Paz)
Evacuations are underway in Argentina’s central province of Cordoba, while fires in the area are out of control.
Other images of the fires show residents frantically evacuating in cars or even bicycles as they race to escape the flames
People have been evacuated from their homes and the provincial government said it had sent truckloads of drinking water, food, mattresses and blankets to residents of affected areas.
Ulises Xarate, 27, is in custody accused of starting a fire Monday afternoon in an area near the town of Villa Carlos Paz in the province’s Punilla region.
Xarate reportedly told police he wanted to start a campfire to make coffee, but lost control of the flames due to strong winds in the area.
The governor of Córdoba, Juan Schiaretti, said: “I call on the population to respect the indications of the firefighters and the authorities who are working in the affected areas. The most important thing is to save lives, wherever evacuation is necessary, it will be done.’
The local government said it had sent truckloads of drinking water, food, mattresses and blankets to residents of the affected areas.
There were five active fires in the region on Tuesday, according to Argentina’s National Fire Management Service.
There was hope that rain expected Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning could help quell the fires, which had spread rapidly due to strong winds.
Forests on the outskirts of Villa Carlos Paz are seeing violent wildfires engulf areas around the city in flames, and firefighters are under immense pressure to try and get control of the fast-spreading disaster.
“We ask that preventive measures be taken to the highest degree, as the weather conditions are unfavorable,” Córdoba’s Minister of Government and Security, Julián López, wrote on social media.
There were five active fires in the region on Tuesday, according to Argentina’s National Fire Management Service
There was hope that rain expected Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning could help quell the fires, which had spread rapidly due to strong winds.
Argentina’s drought has made matters worse, providing plenty of dry land for the fires to swallow and burst outright.
New wildfires were ignited and others restarted as wind from the Punila Valley’s mountain fury intensified.
Villa Carlos Paz is supposed to be a resort town and the population is thought to be around 56,000. The tourist destination recently saw temperatures as high as 91 degrees Fahrenheit and is also in the midst of a serious drought
New outbreaks of fires were activated and others started again as the wind from the mountain fury of the Punilla Valley intensified.
There are concerns about how fires will be contained in areas that are difficult to reach.
Argentina’s drought has made matters worse, providing plenty of dry land for the fires to swallow and burst outright.
Villa Carlos Paz is supposed to be a resort town and the population is thought to be around 56,000.
The tourist destination recently saw temperatures as high as 91 degrees Fahrenheit and is also in the midst of a serious drought that began three years ago.
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