Chile's President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday visited some of the areas worst hit by the wildfires that have engulfed 161,000 hectares of forests and grasslands in the South American nation. Bachelet flew in a helicopter over the town of Pumanque, in O'Higgins, where 70 per cent of the area was destroyed and 200 people had to be evacuated. The regions El Maule and O'Higgins are two of the hardest hit in the current spate of fires. According to the country's National Forest Corporation (CONAF), 85 blazes are currently being fought across the country, with 34 still out of control. The cause of the fires has not yet been determined, but Bachelet said Tuesday on Twitter: "We can neither rule out nor affirm that the fires were intentionally lit". Prosecutors were still investigating the causes, the tweet said. The Chilean government also tweeted Tuesday that French and Mexican fire experts were already in Chile, helping fight the blazes. The United States has also contributed money towards necessary equipment for CONAF. On Wednesday, the world's biggest firefighting aircraft is also expected to join the effort, funded by a private foundation. The plane, known as the Global Supertanker, is a custom built Boeing 747 which can transport up to 73 tons of water. The weather forecast for the coming days remains a concern as temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius could render fighting the fire even more difficult. Emergency services have been battling the flames for days, bringing hundreds of fires under control.
