One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu in Peru is currently being threatened by a wildfire spreading in the Andean Hills
Information About the Wild Fire Spreading in Peru
A fire was started in the Andean Mountains by the farmers who were preparing the land to snow new crops. They burnt grasses and debris to prepare the agricultural land for the new sowing season following the tradition slash-and-burn faming technique.
This led to nearly 49 acres or 20 hectares of land being affected by fire which slowly spread to the ancient ruins of the Inca Civilization at Machu Picchu. The out-of-control bushfire inches closer to Machu Picchu. So far it has engulfed an area equivalent to the Vatican City, the smallest state in the world.
Firefighters Struggle To Combat The Violent Bush Fire
Peruvian Firefighters reportedly tried to fight the forest fire for over two days but due to the inaccessibility of the area it has been a real challenge. Authorities claim that it has been quite difficult to keep the fire under control. However, the risk management and security office have kept this task as their priority and are deploying forces to help bring the fire under control. This statement was released by Robert Abarca who is the current director of the Cusco Risk Management and Security Office.
They firefighters are currently working as a team to put out the fire in the archaeological ruins of Llamakancha which is an eminent part of Machu Picchu.
The fire damage has currently been minimized owing to timely intervention of the authorities. Permanent maintenance and regular trimming of vegetation in the forest by officials has played a huge role in being able to control the impact of this anthropological fire.
Previously in September 2020, a fire had broken out in the Incan complexes. It took the firefighters several hours to combat and quash the fire on foot. The frequency of increasing wildfires in South America has been highly owed to climate change. Although this bush-fire was man-made its rapid spread and undocumented damage was highly caused by climate change. The reduction in precipitation increased the fire length and dried out the vegetation more quickly.
In January, 2022 Peruvian Government had pledged to plant around one million trees near Machu Picchu. This would be done in an effort to combat the ever-increasing forest fires and reduce the climate change impact on this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It would also add to the biodiversity of flora and fauna that South America boasts of and increase its tourism revenue.
What is Machu Picchu?
Machu Pichu is an archaic old complex of stone that was built atop the Andean Hills over 5 centuries ago by the Incan Civilization, one of the largest empires of South America. It ruled over an entire region from Southern Ecuador to Central Chile. Machu Picchu serves as the citadel of the Incas who are credited with modern-day inventions such as the drip irrigation, umbrella, and measuring scale.
With a residency of nearly 750 people during its peak, Machu Picchu remains an intangible and integral testimony to the legacy of the Incas who ruled this land. The outstanding structures feature cross stone terraces
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu literally means ‘old pyramid’, named after the 500-year-old rich history that this ruin echoes. The ruins are considered one of the marvels of the ancient world and owe to a maximum of Peru’s tourism revenue. It is also considered as one of the seven wonders of the world along with the Great Wall of China, Petra, Colosseum, Christ the Redeemer, and Taj Mahal.
