ISRAELI SUSPECTED OF CAUSING CHILE’S WILDFIRE
Report: Israeli suspected of causing Chile wildfire
From CNN
Chile reports 23-year-old Israeli tourist arrested on suspicion he lighted bonfire in Torres del Paine National Park against instructions. Massive wildfire consumed tens of thousands of acres.
Juan Melendez, head prosecutor in the region confirmed that an Israeli suspect had been arrested on alleged negligence.
According to the report, the suspect camped out near a river in the park, lit a bonfire despite signs explicitly prohibiting it and failed to report the fire when it got out of control.
Authorities in Chile are scheduled to officially announce the arrest later on Saturday.
The massive wildfire has thus far ravaged tens of thousands of acres of pristine Patagonia and forced authorities to close the popular national park.
Hundreds of firefighters are fighting the blaze in far-southern Chile. Authorities evacuated 400 tourists, most of them foreigners. Officials say the fire is likely to continue spreading.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera cut his vacation short to meet with his top aides on Friday and discuss ways of containing the blaze.
Some 11,000 hectares (27,200 acres) of woodland and scrub, nearly four percent of the total area of the park, has already been destroyed by the blaze, which more than quadrupled in size in less than 24 hours.
Dr. Pinna says:
Israeli tourists ought to take their vacations in Afghanistan where forest fires wont be noticed.
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