Fires raging in Argentinas southern Patagonia region for more than 20 days

PATAGONIA: Firefighters in Argentina continued on Wednesday (Dec. 29) to battle fires in Patagonia that authorities said have destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (988 acres) of forest.

Meanwhile, two people have died after a helicopter which was working to extinguish fires in Argentina’s Patagonia region crashed, authorities said on the same day.

One pilot and mechanic were aboard the Bell 412 helicopter tackling the forest fires, according to the national news agency, Telam.

The aircraft fell in an area of Quillen, a lake located in Alumine of Neuquen province, located some 1,000 km south of Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires.

The fire in Quillen has so far affected more than 4,000 hectares.

The helicopter had been ordered by the provincial government to aid in ongoing efforts to combat the fires which are hitting the areas of Patagonia.

The fire started on the 7th of December after the fall of a ray.

Over 200 firefighters and around a dozen aircraft have been working hard to combat fires in Nahuel Huapi National Park, the Andean Comarca, and Alumine, a zone that is home to forests, lakes, and mountains.

Blazes for 22 days have continued to scorch the sparsely populated forests of the southern provinces of Chubut, Rio Negro, and Neuquen.

Earlier Tuesday, the federal government confirmed that the fires in Patagonia are associated with climate change, the InfoBae news website reported.

The Environment Ministry has said battling the blazes is challenging due to the terrain, the distance between fires, and weather conditions -- such as the wind, high temperatures, and dry vegetation during a drought that the region is currently fighting.

Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina, Juan Cabandie, last week ordered aerial support to assist efforts on the ground.

Authorities announced they have established a "crisis committee" to coordinate efforts as they battle blazes in the affected provinces.

Last year, thousands of acres of forest were destroyed during blazes in Patagonia.

In addition to the fires in Patagonia, there are also blazes that have struck the provinces of Santa Fe, San Luis, Formosa and Misiones.