The governor of **Chubut**, **Ignacio Torres**, and the governor of **Río Negro, Alberto Weretilneck**, denounced that the active fires in their provinces were intentional.
They did so on Sunday and pointed out that the crime **”will not go unpunished.”** The **fires are still active** and, so far, in the Lanín National Park, at least 3500 hectares have been devastated.
Fires in Chubut and Río Negro: “Intentional Act”
“We are facing an intentional and criminal act. The Río Negro Police, the Duty Prosecutor, and experts accessed the points where the fire started (in El Bolsón),” Weretilneck reported on his X account.
In one of them, a glass bottle was found, which will be examined to determine its connection to the fire,” he added.
The governor’s statements.
“This disaster left a fatality, razed thousands of hectares, and caused enormous damage to our community,” emphasized the governor.
“With the evidence gathered, we can confirm that it was intentional. We will not allow this to go unpunished. We will go to the last consequences to find those responsible and ensure they pay for what they did,” he stated.
“They will all end up in prison”
On his part, Torres shared a video on his social networks and also denounced that the fires in his province were intentional.
“Today, after being in Epuyén accompanying the families affected by the fire, we were present at a new fire front that was being quickly extinguished by the firefighters, after, minutes earlier, a criminal tried to start another fire in the region, setting fire to the power lines,” he wrote.
Statements by Ignacio Torres.
The provincial authorities, Torres specified, were also able to access a video where it is seen how, on Saturday, “two troublemakers tried to start a fire in another area of the Cordillera.”
As emphasized: “with a similar modus operandi to what we observed days ago when some violent individuals threw Molotov cocktails at the Amancay Estancia, near Esquel.”
How the fires are evolving in the affected areas
With the rise in **temperature, low humidity, and west winds**, several fires with smoke columns increased.
At the moment, the fire in Lanín **does not affect populated areas** or public use areas.
The operation faces enormous difficulties on the ground, as there are high hills, combined with a **dense vegetation of dry cane** and large trees. This creates a **complex and risky environment** that complicates the work and demands a great effort from the firefighters.
Situation of the fires in Nahuel Huapi.
Intensive work was carried out with coordinated actions in various sectors: on the tail, right flank, and left flank at the head. The machines created **indirect defense lines** on the right flank, aerial resources from the **National Fire Management Service** (helicopter and AT) conducted water drops.
The fires in the area Mallín Ahogado, in **El Bolsón, left a fatality: Ángel Reyes**, an 84-year-old man who had refused to evacuate.
The fire has already **consumed 2700 hectares and more than 70 houses** since it started on Thursday due to human causes. Around **800 tourists from mountain shelters** were evacuated.
On the other hand, the fires in the area Mallín Ahogado, in **El Bolsón, left a fatality: Ángel Reyes**, an 84-year-old man who had refused to evacuate.
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