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They used candles to start the fire: series of intentional wildfires confirmed in Los Álamos

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A series of intentional wildfires have been reported in different areas of the commune of Los Álamos, in the Province of Arauco.

One of them occurred north of the aforementioned town during the early hours of this Sunday. Meanwhile, a few hours later, another fire was reported south of the commune, one kilometer from a residential area, specifically in the San Ambrosio property.

According to the presidential delegate of the Province of Arauco, Humberto Toro, these are extremely complex and risky fires for firefighters due to their location in ravines, forcing emergency personnel to wait before being able to combat the blazes.

Additionally, the authority confirmed that a total of five fires were recorded, with eight hotspots, all of which were completely intentional, as confirmed by the discovery of candles at the scene.

As detailed by Corma, the fires began at 8:50 p.m. in Huellerehue on January 11 and continued in Los Álamos and San Ambrosio until this Sunday. Fortunately, most are now under control, but the fire in Huellerehue is still being fought, with two active hotspots.

"This attack, which has occurred for the second time since December 22, when eight hotspots were also recorded, shows a clear criminal intent that we cannot overlook," said Margarita Celis, regional manager of Corma.

In this context, authorities urged residents to report anyone entering the forest or exhibiting suspicious behavior, especially when a new fire is detected.

Corma emphasized that the attackers disregarded the ongoing State of Exception and red alert due to extreme heat and wind conditions.

"We call for the appointment of a prosecutor dedicated exclusively to investigating these cases, as well as increased patrols, reinforced police presence, and stronger measures to identify those responsible for these attacks," they stressed.

Along the same lines, they added, "We need to further strengthen coordinated efforts between the public, private, and civil society sectors to stop these criminals."

Source:BiobioChile