A Chilean judge has ordered the detention of a volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official suspected of planning and causing a massive forest fire in the Valparaiso region that resulted in 137 deaths and displaced 16,000 people in February.
The court in Valparaiso ruled that the two men, who were arrested on Friday, could be held for 180 days while investigations proceed.
The chief prosecutor, Osvaldo Ossandón, revealed that Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter, is the main suspect accused of physically igniting the fire. Flares and fireworks were reportedly found in Mondaca’s vehicle. The other suspect, Franco Pinto, a former employee of the National Forest Corporation, is accused of planning the crime.
According to regional prosecutor Claudia Perivancich, evidence suggests that the two men agreed in advance to commit the crime when weather conditions were conducive. Mondaca’s testimony indicated an economic motive behind the plot – to create more work in firefighting. Prosecutors have not ruled out the possibility of additional individuals being involved.
Commander Vicente Maggiolo of the Valparaiso Fire Department expressed dismay over the situation, emphasizing that it should not tarnish the department’s longstanding commitment to saving lives. Christian Little, executive director of the forestry department, described the detention of a former official as a painful development for the agency.
Both the fire department and forestry agency pledged to enhance hiring procedures in response to the incident.
The megafire, which began on February 2 in the Lago Peñuelas nature reserve, devastated several communes and destroyed over 10,000 homes. It is regarded as Chile’s most catastrophic event since the 2010 magnitude 8.8 earthquake, which claimed over 500 lives.
