Forest Fire Scorches Large Area in Uruguay
Forest Fire Scorches Large Area in Uruguay
07 January 2011
published by www.laht.com
Uruguay — The first large forest fire of the Southern Hemisphere summer has scorched 1,200 hectares (2,962 acres) in Artigas, a province on Uruguays border with Brazil, but no injuries have been reported, officials said Thursday.
The fire affected three rural properties in Artigas, located 500 kilometers (311 miles) north of Montevideo, burning forests used for firewood.
About 30 people, including firefighters, soldiers, municipal employees and residents, worked more than 12 hours to put out the blaze, Artigas fire department spokesmen said.
Officials opened an investigation to try to determine the fires cause.
