The fires that have decimated an area of some 3,500 hectares in the north western Andean region of Chubut is “under control” according to officials in the area, thanks to rain that fell overnight and continued work by fire fighters.
“Yesterday we had managed to stop the flames” Gabriel Rapoport, director of civil defence from the town of El Hoyo, told Télam. “By this morning the forest fire was under control thanks to the heavy rains. Now we don’t see flames.” According to Rapoport, fire fighters will now spend at least another week in the area ensuring that the firesremain under control.
High on the provincial authorities’ agenda now is the full restoration of electricity to El Hoyo and Lake Puelo, whose service was interrupted over the weekend. The loss of electricity prompted fears within local fruit producers, as without refrigeration their crop is likely to be ruined.
The fire, which began on Tuesday, caused residents to evacuate the area over the weekend when a “red alert” was declared.
