MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Torres del Paine blaze: “ecological disaster”

Torres del Paine Park in Chilean Patagonia was definitively closed to tourists Wednesday following almost a week of raging blazes that have destroyed so far anywhere between 9,000 and 11,000 hectares of pristine grassland, shrubs and woods.

"This is a real ecological disaster", said Sergio Mendoza from Chile's Forestry Corporation, adding that "it will take several weeks before we can say that the threat is over".

According to the Chilean press the fire already has an estimated 35 miles perimeter with 100 kilometres strong erratic winds which forced Tuesday the evacuation of the 80 passengers staying at the "Las Torres" hostel complex while the sixty staff members joined the 500 firemen and volunteers desperately trying to impede the blaze from advancing.

Fire fighters from other regions of Chile have been called in and there's a further request for another hundred Argentine forest fire fighters from neighbouring El Calafate in Santa Cruz province.

Chilean Agriculture Deputy Secretary Arturo Barrera visited the area and praised the combined efforts of the different organizations involved in the operation, Forestry Corporation, Fire Departments, Armed Forces, Argentine Patagonia fire brigades, and underlined the courage and dedication of all those involved as well as the many volunteers that have joined the "epic task".

"The Ministry of Agriculture, Justice Department and the Cabinet Secretary have been working for months drafting new legislation to update and modernize current bills to improve regulations regarding dangers to forests, establishing higher fines and defining new offences and crimes", revealed Mr. Barrera. The Minister added that the central government will provide "and is providing" all the necessary resources and financing to bring normality to Torres del Paine.

Early morning Wednesday light showers gave fire fighters hopes that nature had finally "turned round" and was beginning to help end the disaster.

The 242,000 hectares Torres del Paine Park has become a main attraction in Chilean Patagonia, 400 kilometres north of Punta Arenas, next to Puerto Natales, and is visited annually by almost 100,000 people mostly foreigners.

In Punta Arenas the Magallanes Commerce, Industry and Tourism Chamber is holing meetings with representatives from the Chilean Tourism Chamber and Austro Chile to evaluate the impact of the blaze for the rest of the current season and in following years.

"Torres del Paine is vital for the Magallanes tourism industry, commerce and regional economy. Distorted reports could lead Europeans to believe the whole park has been consumed by the blaze and we must rapidly address this misconception", pointed out Miguel Anger Soto, president of Austro Chile.

"We're very concerned with the fire's impact for the coming seasons", highlighted Mr. Marcos Ivelich from the Magallanes Commerce, Industry and Tourism Chamber who said that "opening new access ways to the Park, could help mitigate the impact and tell people we're still in business".