Chile accuses volunteer firefighter
Chile accuses ex-forestry official.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A Chilean judge has ordered a volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official to be detained for their alleged involvement in a massive forest fire that resulted in 137 deaths and left 16,000 people homeless in the Valparaiso region in February. The court in Valparaiso ruled that the two men, who were arrested on Friday, could be held for 180 days while investigations are ongoing.
The chief prosecutor in the case, Osvaldo Ossandón, identified the main suspect as 22-year-old volunteer firefighter Francisco Mondaca, who is accused of physically starting 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.
Regional prosecutor for Valparaiso, Claudia Perivancich, stated that investigators have evidence suggesting that the two men had premeditated the act and agreed to carry it out under suitable weather conditions. Prosecutors have indicated that there may be more individuals involved in the incident.
According to Mondaca’s testimony, the motive behind the plot was economic, with the intention of creating more work in fighting fires. However, authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional motives or accomplices.
Vicente Maggiolo, commander of the Valparaiso Fire Department, expressed dismay over the situation, describing it as an isolated incident that should not overshadow the department’s longstanding commitment to saving lives. Christian Little, executive director of the forestry department, described the arrest of a former official as a setback for the agency.
Both the fire department and forestry agency have pledged to enhance their hiring procedures in light of the incident. The megafire, which began on February 2 in the Lago Peñuelas nature reserve in central Chile, spread to several communes and destroyed over 10,000 homes. It is considered the country’s worst tragedy since a devastating earthquake in 2010.
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Chile accuses volunteer firefighter and ex-forestry official with causing huge fire that killed
Chile accuses volunteer firefighter and ex-forestry official with causing massive fire that resulted in fatalities.
