(CNN) — Ongoing forest fires in the Corrientes province of northern Argentina have devastated more than 485,000 hectares of land since mid-January, according to a new report from Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA).
The record fires burn an average of around 20,000 hectares per day during a historic drought, Pascual Pérez, coordinator of the Iberá National Park, told CNN. Low rainfall and two years of high temperatures have also contributed to the widespread damage from the fire, the authors of the INTA report noted.
Local authorities declared a state of emergency and hydrant planes were dispatched to help fight the fires, according to the Corrientes Ministry of Production and Tourism.
Argentina is currently experiencing its second La Niña weather pattern, which has brought scant rainfall to the country’s main agricultural regions.
Aerial view of the forest fires that affect pastures in the wetlands of the province of Entre Ríos on August 30, 2021 in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Argentina. Credit: Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images
The forecast from the National Weather Service predicts only 5 to 10 mm of rain in the next few days.