Fire At Machu Picchu, Peru, 6-11 September
Between 6 and 11 September, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, were threatened by a large brush fire, eventually consuming over 800 hectares of mountain forest. At one time more than 400 firefighters pumped water on the dense vegetation on the hills surrounding the World Heritage site to prevent the fire from reaching the ruins.
The fire was believed to have been started by local farmers burning weeds on the bank of the nearby Urubamba River to clear farmland. The fire was eventually brought under control on Thursday, 11 September after torrential rains put an end to the five-day old fire.
The site, Peru's most popular tourist destination, was reopened to the public on Friday, 12 September.
World Heritage Properties
- Damage evaluated at Machu Picchu after torrential rains Friday, February 12, 2010
- Torrential rains cause death and damage at Peruvian World Heritage sites Thursday, January 28, 2010
- UNESCO joins United Nations effort in response to Peruvian earthquake Tuesday, August 21, 2007
- UNESCO sends mission to assess the state of conservation of Machu Picchu World Heritage Site Thursday, April 19, 2007