Fires reignite in Patagonia due to adverse climate

Strong winds and unseasonably high temperatures reignited wildfires in Patagonia which have devastated huge areas of forest in the remote Argentine region. Blazes have persisted in the area close to the Martin and Steffen lakes in western Patagonia.

Smoke from the flames caused authorities to shut part of the Argentine National Route 40, the country's longest highway which connects northern and southern Argentina.

Director of the Nahuel Huapi National Park said dry material on the floor of the forests was a "time bomb" where the blazes could spread very quickly. A state of emergency has allowed more resources to be dedicated to fighting the fires.