8,000 square kilometres of land burnt: wildfire in Argentina rages

Firefighters in Argentina were on Sunday continuing to battle a devastating wildfire in Argentina's northeastern province of Corrientes.

According to a report by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) released Friday, the fire has burnt around 800,000 hectares (8,000 square kilometres) of land, or nearly 10% of the region's area.

"This is atypical, historic, never happened (before), we never lived (with) something like this," said local resident, Jorge Ayala.

"We were really overwhelmed. This is what I can tell you know. This a blow for the province (of Corrientes)."

The blaze was threatening wildlife in the Iberá National Park, the largest wetland in the country and one of its largest ecosystems.

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Many animals have been burned by flames or poisoned by smoke, while others have been run over on roads while trying to escape the fires.

Corrientes Governor Gustavo Valdes declared the province an "ecological and environmental disaster zone."