Chile accuses volunteer firefighter and ex-forestry official with causing huge fire that killed 137

A Chilean judge on Saturday ordered the detention of a volunteer firefighter and a former forestry official for allegedly planning and causing a massive forest fire in the Valparaiso region that resulted in 137 deaths and left 16,000 people homeless in February.

The court in Valparaiso ruled that the two men, who were arrested on Friday, could be held for 180 days while the investigation continues.

Chief prosecutor Osvaldo Ossandón identified the main suspect as Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old volunteer firefighter in Valparaiso. Mondaca is accused of physically starting the fire, with flares and fireworks found in his vehicle. The other suspect, Franco Pinto, a former employee of the National Forest Corporation, is accused of planning the crime.

Regional prosecutor Claudia Perivancich stated that investigators have evidence suggesting that Mondaca and Pinto had prearranged to ignite the fire under suitable weather conditions. Prosecutors mentioned that Mondaca’s testimony indicated an economic motive behind the plot, aiming to generate more firefighting work. They have not ruled out the involvement of additional individuals.

Vicente Maggiolo, commander of the Valparaiso Fire Department, expressed dismay over the situation, emphasizing that it was an isolated incident and should not overshadow the fire department's long-standing commitment to saving lives. "We have been saving lives for more than 170 years," Maggiolo told TVN.

Christian Little, executive director of the forestry department, described the involvement of a former official as “a pain” for the agency. Both the fire department and the forestry agency have announced plans to tighten their hiring procedures.

The catastrophic fire began on February 2 in the Lago Peñuelas nature reserve in central Chile and burned through several communes, destroying more than 10,000 homes. It is considered Chile's worst tragedy since the magnitude 8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010, which killed more than 500 people.