Fires rages on in Argentine, important wetlands burned

BUENOS AIRES REUTERS Feb 18-Wildfires in Argentina’s north have continued to spread through the province of Corrientes, burning more than 600,000 hectares, scarring farmlands and killing protected animals and plants in the major Ibera National Park, an important wetland area.   

 Local authorities have sent firefighters, police and volunteers to fight some 15 blazes that have ripped through the region near the border with Paraguay, burning over 6% of the entire province, which has been hit by drought and high temperatures since late last year.   

 “More than 600,000 hectares have been burned; our teams can’t cope. We have water bomber planes, helicopters, but we just can’t cope,” Commander Daniel Bertorello of the provincial capital’s Volunteer Firefighters said in a telephone interview.   

 The weather forecast is not encouraging, as high temperatures are expected over the weekend, with no rain, according to the National Meteorological Service.