MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Czech Republic helps with Torres del Paine recovery

Chilean Agriculture Minister Jaime Campos downplayed the environmental impact of the Torres del Paine park forest fire which ravaged since mid February and announced Chile and the Czech republic will be collaborating in the restoration of Chilean Patagonia's main wild life attraction.

"Most of the 15,500 hectares of the park lost to the fire was grassland and bushes. Actually only 1,200 hectares were native forest", said Mr. Campos who praised the joint effort to combat the flames.

"The blaze was never out of control, as has been said and written; fire fighters, Armed Forces, Argentine fire brigades, volunteers, they all did a wonderful job in combating the fire and this must be highlighted. The fire was never out of control".

In an interview with a Santiago station Mr. Campos also announced that the first year of restoration effort will demand an estimated 2,5 million US dollars which will be supplied by the central government in collaboration with the Czech government.

The fire in Torres del Paine was accidentally started by a Czech tourist and Prague has expressed its willingness to participate in the recovery of the parkland and forest.

A top delegation from the Czech government including Deputy Finance Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister, with a message from Prime Minister Cyril Svodoba, is currently in Chile and after visiting the area promised financial aid and agriculture and forest experts from the University of Mendel who will be coming to help design a vegetation restoration program.

An estimated 360 firemen remain in Torres del Paine Park working on the last smoulders helped by strong rains in the whole Magallanes area.

Carlos Weber from the Chilean Forestry Corporation said that the "blaze combat strategy privileged the defence of the wooded areas which are the slowest in recovering; fortunately the area where the fire broke out was mainly grassland with a quick recovery capacity. Let us recall that this is common practice among farmers in the area".

Finally Mr. Weber said that it's not always easy "to extinguish fires of such magnitude after the first attack, particularly with such strong and changing winds".

Torres del Paine covers 242,000 hectares and the area destroyed by the fire according to Forestry Corporation officials was 15,573 hectares.