Chile Firefighter, Forest Official Linked to Wildfires That Killed 130

Chile Firefighter, Forest Official Linked to Wildfires That Killed 130
The remains of a burnt house are pictured following the spread of wildfires affecting many parts of the Valparaiso region, in Vina del Mar, Chile, on Feb. 3, 2024. Sofia Yanjari/Reuters
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A volunteer firefighter and a Chilean forestry official have been formally accused by prosecutors with involvement in setting wildfires that engulfed central Chile this past February, killing over 130 people.

Implicated so far is volunteer firefighter Francisco Ignacio Mondaca, along with Francisco Pinto, an official from Chile’s National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), part of the Agriculture ministry that is responsible for preventing forest fires.