Santiago, Aug 31 (IANS): Chile will send four additional aircraft to help battle the forest fires in the Amazon, President Sebastian Pinera has said.

"Chile is already collaborating with an AT-8 aircraft, which is capable of deploying 3,000 litres on each flight. Shortly we will send four similar aircrafts to Brazil," Pinera told the media on Friday, adding that Chile also offered support to Bolivia, a country whose Amazon region has also been affected by the blazes. 

"We are prepared to be able to make the best and broadest collaboration possible to face this difficult situation," Pinera was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Considered the "lungs of the Earth", the Amazon is mainly situated in Brazil, but parts of it lie in Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and other South American countries.

The raging fires in the Amazon came into global spotlight after large swaths of the tropical forest were destroyed this year.