Francisco Mondaca : “Firefighter Accused in Fatal Blaze”

After a devastating fire in February that claimed 137 lives and left 16,000 people homeless, the court in Valparaiso has ruled to detain two men who were arrested on Friday. The suspects, Francisco Mondaca and Franco Pinto, are being held for 180 days as investigations continue into their alleged roles in starting the fire.

Chief prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandon revealed that the main suspect, 22-year-old volunteer firefighter Francisco Mondaca, is accused of physically igniting the fire. Flares and fireworks were reportedly found in Mondaca’s vehicle, further incriminating him in the crime. The second suspect, Franco Pinto, a former employee of the National Forest Corporation, is believed to have planned the incident.

Regional prosecutor Claudia Perivancich stated that evidence suggests the two men conspired in advance to start the fire under suitable weather conditions. Mondaca claimed there was an economic motive behind the plot, aiming to generate more work in firefighting efforts. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of additional accomplices being involved.

Valparaiso Fire Department commander Vicente Maggiolo expressed dismay over the situation, emphasizing that the incident should not overshadow the department’s longstanding commitment to saving lives. Similarly, Christian Little, executive director of the forestry department, described the detention of a former official as a painful development for the agency.

In response to the incident, both the fire department and forestry agency have pledged to enhance their hiring procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The fire, which began on February 2 in the Lago Penuelas nature reserve in central Chile, raged for several days, destroying over 10,000 homes and becoming the country’s worst tragedy since the 2010 earthquake that claimed over 500 lives.