On the famous Easter Island, in Chile, a fire ravaged hundreds of hectares of Rapa Nui National Park Rapa Nui in October 2022, only three months after the reopening of the island to tourism in August 2022 (closed because of the pandemic).
The result: the flames damaged 1/5th of the emblematic moai sculptures.
"The fire at the Rano Raraku volcano quarry has been extinguished (...), however causing irreparable damage to the Cultural Heritage of Humanity." Chilean President Gabriel Boric.
The fire had progressed very quickly, becoming out of control.
The location was also difficult for the firefighters to access.
The mayor had denounced the "abandonment of the island" on the part of the government due to a lack of staff in the park.
According to the investigators, the criminal trail is preferred.
"This fire was caused by cattle ranchers for grazing. All the evidence points to this." Chilean Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela.
But this fire is a reminder of the vulnerability of the site.
Indeed, the island is facing severe and recurrent droughts for the last 5 years.
Fire outbreaks are more frequent in these areas.
This phenomenon is expected to accelerate with global warming.
Easter Island is one of the 6 sites classified as World Heritage Sites most vulnerable to climate change and its consequences.
The degradation of the moai statues is a disaster for the island which acquired a worldwide fame thanks to its megaliths of mysterious origin.
Today listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, these structures dating from the 13th to the 16th century, can measure up to 20 meters high and and weigh up to 80 tons.
The island lives mainly from tourism: it attracts about 160 000 visitors per year.