A volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official have been detained by a Chilean court over their alleged involvement in a catastrophic forest fire in Valparaiso, which took 137 lives and left 16,000 homeless in February. The judge in Valparaiso ruled that the two accused, apprehended on Friday, can be kept in custody for a duration of 180 days as the investigation proceeds.
The primary suspect is Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter, who the Chief Prosecutor, Osvaldo Ossandon, claims physically instigated the blaze. Mondaca’s vehicle was found to contain flares and fireworks.
The other accused is Franco Pinto, an ex-staffer of the National Forest Corporation, said to have masterminded the crime. Claudia Perivancich, the regional prosecutor for Valparaiso, mentioned that they have proof the two accused coordinated this act according to favourable weather conditions.
Based on Mondaca’s statement, the motive for the crime was economic, providing additional firefighting work opportunities. The prosecution has not eliminated the possibility of more individuals being implicated.
The scenario was described as upsetting by the commander of the Valparaiso Fire Department, Vicente Maggiolo. Despite this being a standalone incident, Maggiolo insisted it shouldn’t tarnish the department’s reputation, which has been serving for over 170 years.
The Forestry Department’s executive director, Christian Little expressed his frustration regarding the detention of the former officer, stating it to be disheartening for the organisation. Both the fire department and the forestry agency stated that they would be strengthening their hiring procedures following the incident.
The wildfire originated on February 2nd in the Lago Penuelas nature reserve, situated in Chile’s central region. The fire lasted several days and resulted in the destruction of over 10,000 homes. It is currently regarded as Chile’s worst tragedy since a devastating earthquake on February 27th, 2010 that resulted in more than 500 fatalities.