Chile faces a "very difficult" season of wildfires because of high temperatures, a persistent drought and an increase in arson, Agriculture Minister Antonio Walker said on Tuesday, adding to the woes of a country damaged by violent socioeconomic protests in the past month.
Firefighters have found fuel cans near some fires that have already occurred, Walker told a news conference, warning those who were found guilty of arson that they would face new, stiffer fines or up to 20 years imprisonment.
Already, approximately 1,000 fires have been registered, principally in the central region around the port of Valparaiso, compared to 491 in the whole of last year, according to figures from the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF).
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