Firefighters Battle Forest Fire Inferno in Paraguay

^{PHOTO: DRAMATIC FOOTAGE OF FIRES RAGING THROUGH BUSH AND TREES, FIRE BRIGADE BATTLING FIRES, SMOKE CLOUDS RISING}

INTERNATIONAL: Firefighters battle a blazing forest fire inferno in Paraguay that started early on Tuesday, 11 January. After eight hours, fire brigades in Paraguay have managed to control the huge fire in Villeta, south of the capital Asuncion.

Volunteer firefighter commander, Marco Almada, has reported that the flames spread through bush and trees burning around 2,000 hectares of forest. At least 40 firefighters and eight trucks were mobilized to the scene, according to Almada.

As of Tuesday, Paraguay was monitoring 221 hot spots nationwide.

Dozens of Homes Lost in Fire in Chilean Slum

^{PHOTO: DARK PLUMES OF SMOKE FROM FIRE BREAKING OUT AT IQUIQUE}

At least 100 homes burned down and left 400 people homeless on Monday after a fire broke out in a slum in the city of Iquique in northern Chile, local authorities have reported.

The presidential delegate for the Tamarugal province, Miguel Angel Quezada, has said the fire had been extinguished on Monday night. Quezada has also said many of the destroyed homes were built in an irregular urban settlement.

Authorities have set up shelters for the 280 families affected by the fire.

Four Injured After Light Aircraft Crashes in Bolivia

^{PHOTO: DAMAGE TO DOWNED AIRCRAFT, EMERGENCY OFFICERS TREATING INJURED, SOUNDBITE FROM POLICE OFFICER}

And… A small private plane with four people on board crashed during an emergency landing in the southern Bolivian town of Uyuni on Sunday, 9 January, injuring all four on board. The two pilots and two passengers were taken to Eduardo Perez Hospital in Uyuni for medical treatment.

The Bolivia Civil Aeronautical Authority stated that an engine malfunction forced the C-402 Cessna's pilot to request to land seven minutes after initial takeoff. Unable to reach the runway, the pilot crash-landed near La Joya Andina Airport.

Authorities have affirmed that despite the possible failure of “one of the engines”, as a preventive measure, they decided to make an “emergency landing in the vicinity of the Uyuni airport” and not on the runway itself.