Two arson suspects were arrested over the weekend in Chile after causing the deadliest fire the country has ever known.
The suspects carried out the forest fire in Valparaiso district in February, killing 137 people and leaving another 16,000 homeless. Their detention was extended on Saturday by one hundred and eighty days.
One of the suspects, according to the prosecutor, is Francisco Mondaca, a 22-year-old who volunteered for firefighting services in Valparaiso a year and a half ago. The other suspect is Franco Pinto, who previously worked at Chile's national forestry corporation.
The suspects are accused of having set the fire to demand that they be hired by the government. The commander of the firefighting services in Valparaiso, Vicente Maggiolo, supported the accused firefighter and expressed shock over his arrest and the accusations against him. 'We have been saving lives for over 170 years'.
The fire broke out at four different locations in a nature reserve. Investigators claim to have found cigarette butts, matches, and further incriminating materials in one of the suspects' homes.