Article author:
Reuters
LIMA — Peruvian firefighters were fighting to contain a forest fire on Thursday near the Inkan ruins in Machu Picchu, as the fire threatened to approach the high ancient cities of the Andean Mountains.
On Tuesday, the fire that swallowed about half the area of the city of Vatican began as farmers prepared to burn grass and debris to sow new crops.
As of Wednesday, about 20 hectares (49 acres) had been affected by the fire, said the mayor of the nearby city of Cusco.
Machu Picchu, a stone complex at the top of the mountain, was built by Inca over 500 years ago. The Inca Empire dominated a large area of South America, from what is now southern Ecuador to central Chile.
The remoteness of the fire has hindered the efforts of firefighters.
"We have been fighting forest fires for two days already, but we couldn't control them because we didn't have access to the area," said Cusco's Director of Risk Management and Security. Roberto Abarca says. office.
The breathtaking ruins that made the surrounding Cusco region one of Peru's top tourist destinations are considered one of the seven new wonders of the world. (Report by Carlos Valdez and Marco Aquino, Written by Brendan O'Boyle, Edited by Sandra Maler)
