Approximately 10,000 hectares of old-growth forest were destroyed by fires in southern Chile in recent weeks. The hardest-hit areas were in the national parks of Huerquehue, Malleco, Tolhuaca and Conguillío, located in Chile's ninth region, 700 km south of Santiago.

The authorities report that the environmental damage is incalculable, and that ancient species were lost, such as the araucaria trees, an important biological treasure of the country's forests.

The area of forest burned this January was three times greater than in January 2001, they said.