Lima, June 30 (Reuters) – Peruvian firefighters were battling a wildfire near the ruins of Machu Picchu in Inca on Thursday, a fire that could have been extinguished in the ancient city of the Andean Mountains.
The fire, which engulfed half of the Vatican City area on Tuesday, burned grass and debris as farmers prepared to plant new crops.
As of Wednesday, some 20 acres[49 ha]had been affected by the blaze, according to the mayor of the nearby town of Cusco.
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Machu Pichu, a complex of stone structures built on a hill, was built 500 years ago, and its territory covered much of South America from present-day Ecuador to central Chile.
The distance of the fire prevented the efforts of firefighters.
“We have been fighting the forest fires for the past two days and we have not been able to control them,” said Roberto Abarka, director of the Cusco Disaster Management and Security Bureau.
The ruins of the surrounding Cusco region, one of Peru’s top tourist destinations, are considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
(This story is set to be typed on the title.)
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Reporting by Carlos Valdez and Marco Aquino; Writing by Branden Oboil; Correction by Sandra Maler
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