Wall of flames from raging Argentina wildfire forces evacuations
Intense heat and strong winds blew and allegedly intentionally set fire out-of-control into a resort town in central Argentina. One man was arrested.
Watch: Wall of flames threatens Argentina villages
Fast moving flames closing in on a village in Argentina prompting officials to evacuate families.
CORDOBA, Argentina – Firefighters raced to the raging wildfires in central Argentina that broke out, hoping to rescue those still stranded in nearby villages.
Officials say they were able to evacuate 20 families from homes and apartment buildings in the resort city of Villa Carlos Paz Tuesday night.
They were met with a standing ovation and cheers from those already evacuated, most covering their mouths and noses to protect themselves from the smoke.
Residents cheer and clap as fire crews head through town on the way to approaching wildfires in Argentina.
(Reuters / FOX Weather)
Drone video shows the fire line closing in on buildings despite thick smoke blinding much of the view.
Residents ran from flames and tried to battle hotspots themselves
As the wall of fire approached on Wednesday, people ran from the city, feeling the heat from the towering flames.
"It looks like a war. I've never seen anything like that," one man fleeing the flames told Reuters. "When the wind changed direction, the flames came this way. It was shocking."
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People run away from the rising and approaching flames of wildfire broke out in the resort city of Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba, Argentina on October 10, 2023.
(Lucho Casalla/Anadolu / Getty Images)
"I have no words to describe this. It was horrible," a woman told local media. "Awful to feel the ashes, the heat. It was horrible."
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Families evacuated as out-of-control wildfire threatens Argentina
Flames are quickly spreading through mountain communities in Argentina forcing families to flee their homes. Thick smoke chokes the air.
The fire exploded on Monday, primarily in the Cordoba province and has so far burned about 6,600 acres, according to the Joint Research Centre Global Wildfire Information System. Local authorities reported that at least two homes were destroyed. Over 1,000 fire crews battled the flames.
More video shows frantic residents filling buckets with pool water to spread on lawns surrounding homes to quench the embers traveling in the stiff wind. Other residents were trying to attack the flames with garden hoses. Men pulled their shirts over their noses and mouths and ran to flare-ups on the edge of town with water jugs.
People help extingusihing works to wildfire broke out in the resort city of Villa Carlos Paz, Cordoba, Argentina on October 10, 2023.
(Lucho Casalla/Anadolu / Getty Images)
The Municipality of Villa Carlos Paz credits "intense hours of work" by volunteer firefighters for containing one main hotspot.
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Local media reports that the fire started when a man built a fire for making coffee, and the strong wind and high temperatures quickly spread the embers. The Cordoba Governor announced on social media that a man was arrested for intentionally starting the fire.