Two people were killed after a fire helicopter crashed fighting the ongoing forest fires in Patagonia, Argentina. The dead were reported to be the pilot and a mechanic aboard. Adverse weather conditions, technical malfunction or human error may have caused the incident, Argentina’s Transport Safety Board (Junto de Seguridad en el Transporte) stated. Authorities launched investigation regarding the crash.
In the southern states of Chubut, Rio Negro, Formosa and Neuquen, wildfires have been raging for weeks, burning more than 4,000 hectares of woodland, local officials reported. Argentina’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development announced that 30 more firefighters were sent to the region from the cities of Buenos Aires and Santiago del Estero to support the teams fighting the fires. The high temperatures, dry air and wind that have been effective in the region in recent days have made it difficult to control the fires.