While this city sweltered throughout the week with no rainfall to interrupt the heatwave, there was no refuge to be found taking summer holidays elsewhere in the country – temperatures in Mar del Plata and the Atlantic coast were a couple of degrees higher at times but against all geographic logic the most searing heat was in Patagonia with devastating consequences for the larch trees of El Parque Los Alerces in the province of Chubut where 600 hectares of native wood were burnt out by forest fires raging beyond control despite the intense efforts of fire brigades and two hydrant planes. Chubut PRO Governor Ignacio Torres voiced suspicion of arson by RAM Mapuche militants.
SOURCE: batimes.com.ar