Chilean firefighter charged over February fire that killed 137 people | News from the Northwest and the Country

A firefighter was arrested in Chile on Friday on suspicion of setting a fire in the resort town of Vina del Mar in February that killed 137 people, authorities said.

“An arrest warrant was issued today against the person who set the fires in February in the Valparaiso region, where Vina del Mar is located,” Police Director Eduardo Cerna said at a press conference.

On February 2, several fires broke out simultaneously around the coastal city of Vina del Mar, 110 kilometers northwest of Chile’s capital Santiago.

The inferno, the second-worst in the world this century, was fueled by winds and a heat wave that saw temperatures reach around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Local media reported that the firefighter is a 22-year-old man who joined the volunteer fire department a year and a half ago.

“We are completely shocked by what happened. This is an absolutely isolated case. We have served Valparaiso for over 170 years and we cannot allow something like this to happen,” Vicente Maggiolo, commander of the 13th Fire Brigade of the city of Valparaiso, told reporters.

– Certainty –

Ministry investigators found that the inferno began with small, simultaneous fires near Lake Penuelas in the port city of Valparaiso near Vina del Mar. Hot and windy weather caused the flames to spread quickly.

“There were about four outbreaks at equal distances from each other,” said prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandon.

Materials used to start the fire were found in the suspect’s house, he said. Investigators are also looking into possible connections to other arson attacks.

The suspect’s motive was unclear.

“We all knew it was a deliberate attack,” said Macarena Ripamonti, mayor of Vina del Mar. “Today we can be sure of that certainty.”

Due to a lack of roads, firefighters were unable to reach the scene of the fire or were stuck in narrow streets lined with charred cars.

“This is first and foremost an act of justice and reparation towards those who lost their lives in the fire, towards their families, towards those who lost all their possessions, their job opportunities and their livelihoods,” said Interior Minister Carolina Toha.

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