A devastating forest fire is closing in on the town, situated a few kilometres from the metropolis of Córdoba in central Argentina. The authorities have launched evacuation operations as the population faces an imminent threat.
A thick plume of smoke stretching for kilometres, a line of flames advancing dangerously towards nearby buildings: in Argentina, the town of Villa Carlos Paz, situated around ten kilometres from the megacity of Córdoba and its nearly 1.5 million inhabitants in the centre of the country, was the scene of a mass evacuation on Tuesday 10 October.
The incident was caused by arson, and a 27-year-old man has been arrested. He is suspected of having started the fire on Monday afternoon in an area near the town. According to his statement, he had attempted to light a campfire to make coffee, but lost control of the flames due to strong winds.
As highlighted by the Argentine newspaper *La Nación*, Tuesday’s weather was far from favourable. Earlier that morning, the National Meteorological Service had issued yellow warnings for strong winds in the Córdoba region, much of the province of Buenos Aires, the south of Santa Fe, and parts of La Rioja, San Luis and La Pampa. According to the forecast, the whole of Córdoba was expected to experience southerly winds reaching speeds of 30 to 50 km/h, with gusts of up to around 75 km/h.
According to Argentina’s National Fire Management Service, there were five separate active fires in the region on Tuesday. A total of 960 firefighters were deployed to tackle these forest fires, supported by eight aircraft and two helicopters specialised in firefighting, as announced by the provincial government on Tuesday evening. At present, it is difficult to determine the extent of the damage caused by the flames, both in Villa Carlos Paz (population 56,000) and in other affected areas.
Hopes are now pinned on the weather, as forecast rainfall could bring some welcome relief in the fight against the fires. The expected rain is raising hopes that it will help to contain the blazes that have ravaged the region in recent days.