SANTIAGO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Forest fires have razed nearly 4,000 hectares of wildlife in south and central Chile in the past few days, the National Forest Corporation (Conaf) said Sunday.
The regions worst hit over the weekend were Araucania and Biobio, both in central Chile, the agency said, adding that in Biobio, four fires were still raging and two were under control.
In Biobio, the fires destroyed 2,500 hectares of vegetation and damaged several homes, leading some communities to evacuate.
At least 150 hectares of the area's Nonguen nature reserve, home to the protected colocolo opossum, fox and deer, were consumed by fire. The reserve is home to the last remnant of deciduous forest in Biobio's Concepcion province.
Authorities are concerned, especially with the weather forecast calling for high temperatures and winds of more than 30 km per hour in south and central Chile, amid the southern hemisphere's summer season.
