Wildfire Causes Damage in Easter Island's Iconic Moai Stones

The iconic Moai stone statues suffered from wildfire, causing irreparable damage to the popular cultural site. Easter Island is in the territory of Chile.

The majestic Moai stone is an image of cultures in the area and respect for key community members of Rapa Nu by building well-built and sophisticated stone statues.

According to Reuters, Easter Island Mayor Pedro Edmunds explained that the damage to the iconic statues was unquantifiable and unmeasurable. The wildfires caused the rock to crack.

The Mayor added that experts and the park administrator would assess the impact and the immediate action to be taken.

Island's Iconic Moai Stones

(Photo by Dan Kitwood via Getty Images)

Based on Easter Island Travel's website, the statutes are also called easter island heads, serving as a cultural and famous tourist site. Details said that Rapa Nui worked to build the moais from 1400 to 1650 A.D.

What is amazing about the creation of the gigantic statues was that 95% of the iconic moais are said to be carved from the Rano Raraku volcano, showing the community's commitment to making the statues for over four centuries, the website said.

Reuters reported that Chile's culture, arts, and heritage ministry state revealed a preliminary report indicating that the wildfire began on Tuesday and burned over 148.26 acres (60 hectares).

On the other hand, AccuWeather said that the wildfire emerged three months since the iconic tourist spot opened to visitors, affecting the island's tourism revenue.

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The well-built moais status honored the old community chieftain and people who died, showing the statues are differently built. The easter island travel noted that the stones could weigh up to 86 tons and 80 m in height. The website also pointed out that the community employed an important tool for carving the stones called Toki (handheld chisels).

With the effect of wildfires, the booming tourism at easter island is also disrupted. The wildfire damage is irreparable to the statues, slowly damaged by rain. The report also noted that the gigantic statues became fragile. Authorities are now assessing the extent of the damage.

To read more about easter island, visit the website of Easter Island Travel.

Wildfire

Discussing wildfires, the World Health Organization (WHO) explained that wildfires burn the forest, prairie, or grassland, causing damage to communities and livelihood.

The World Health Organization highlighted that wildfires could wreak havoc on agriculture, animal kingdom, communities, transportation, and water supply. The report also showed that wildfires could be caused by human-caused activities and natural phenomena like thunderstorms. The risk of wildfires is high in drought areas or with strong winds that can result in unplanned heat.

Moreover, climate change and the warming of the environment have increased the possibility of wildfires in drought areas.

In the United States, human-caused wildfires have been a pressing concern because of unattended fires in the camps, discarded cigarettes, and burning equipment. Tourists coming to national parks or wildfire-prone areas should be responsible in their visits to avoid deadly wildfires.