Buenos Aires, Dec 28 (IANS): A wildfire has destroyed around 1,450 hectares of the iconic Nahuel Huapi National Park in the southern Argentine province of Rio Negro, as per local authorities.

The fire broke out on Wednesday in the southern part of the park and has advanced towards the northern head of Lake Martin, reaching an area already devastated by wildfires in 2022, said a report from the park's administration on Friday, as per Xinhua news agency.

"For safety reasons, trails in the southern and central parts of the protected area have been closed," it said.

The report said that 46 firefighters were deployed to reinforce firefighting efforts in the rear section of the fire and improve escape routes to ensure the safety of the crew, and that poor visibility as a result of wildfire smoke has rendered aerial operations impossible.

According to local authorities, smoke from the wildfire "is already affecting the city of Bariloche," one of Argentina's top tourist destinations, known for its ski slopes in winter and lakes and mountains in summer.

In 2024, Argentina saw significant outbreaks of wildfires primarily across Northern and Central Argentina that devastated large stretches of forests and farming land. The intensity and spread of the wildfires increased significantly in August and September 2024 due to drought conditions and elevated temperatures.

The climate and anthropogenic conditions leading to wildfires were widely present across several other South American nations such as Brazil and Peru, causing nations to suffer from devastating wildfire seasons.

As per the Argentine authorities, hundreds of wildfires had burnt at least 91,540 hectares (226,200 acres) of land this year.