Fires burn Easter Island heads

Easter Island statues burnt - 21st November 2022

Easter Island's stone heads have been damaged by fire. The world famous statues were affected when wildfires destroyed 100 hectares of the Rapa Nui national park. The damage could be seen from space, from NASA's Landsat 9 satellite.

The mayor – Pedro Edmunds Paoa – of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, said the fire wasn't accidental. "All fires on Rapa Nui are caused by human beings."

It's possible that the island's sheep farmers were responsible. They frequently burn the dry grass to provide new grass for their animals.

Easter Island is situated 3,700 kilometres from the nearest continent. The huge distance meant Rapa Nui people remained closed to outside influences for one thousand years. The community's national park was named a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its unique buildings and statues. The stone figures, 2 to 20 metres in height, were carved from rock in the 13th century.

Over the centuries, the wind and rain have badly affected the statues. However, these fires have quickened up the process. Ariki Tepano, who's in charge of the park, believes the damage cannot be repaired. The fires created cracks in the rock and some of the details in the statues' faces were burned.

While some are hopeful that steps can now be taken to save the figures, others disagree. For the mayor, the damage is too great, 'no matter how many millions of euros or dollars are put into it.'

Tourism has restarted on the island lately. It's possible that the current visitors will be among the last generations to see these extraordinary heads.