Wildfires in south Argentina rip through nearly 12,000 hectares of forest, threatening communities

Raging wildfires in the Argentine Patagonia have blazed through nearly 12,000 hectares of scrubland and planted and native forests, threatening local communities, according to firefighting authorities in a report published Sunday. The fires started almost a week ago in the Andean region of the Argentine province of Chubut and are putting a power plant and a school at risk as well as affecting rural properties. The causes of the fires have not yet been established, but Chubut Gov. Ignacio Torres told journalists on Thursday there are indications that one of the biggest active fires was deliberately set.