Wildfires threaten three national parks in Chile

Lonquimay Volcano, Conguillio National Park. Image by Alonso Inostrosa Psijas / CC BY-SA 2.0

In the southern region of Araucania in Chile, wildfires that have been burning for over a week are threatening three of the area’s national parks, some with trees dating back thousands of years. The country has declared a national alert as firefighters battle the fires which affect an area of over 4500 hectares (11,000 acres), including parts of three protected areas: China Muerta National Reserve, Nalca Lolco National Reserve and Conguillio National Park. The Conguillio park is a popular tourist destination, known for its volcanoes and ancient monkey puzzle trees. The Araucania area has been suffering years of drought which has made it susceptible to forest fires. Read more: bbc.com