Hundreds of homes evacuated as Patagonia fires grow in Argentina

Forest fires fueled by a heat wave scorched a corner of Argentina's Patagonia region Thursday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes. Strong winds and high temperatures fed a blaze that tore through grassland and forest near the remote village of Epuyen, reducing areas of pristine wilderness to a smoldering ruin. 

The provincial governor said an area roughly the size of 1,600 football fields caught fire in only five hours on Wednesday. Some 50 homes and part of a school were engulfed by the flames and 200 families have been evacuated, he added. Argentina's national weather service has declared 17 of the country's 23 provinces to be suffering "extreme temperatures.

" Fires are common in Patagonia's austral summer, but a lack of rainfall and high temperatures have raised the risk this year.