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A wildfire on Easter Island which could have been started deliberately has caused ‘irreparable’ damage to the Unesco World Heritage Site’s iconic moai head statues
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 14 Oct 2022
The Easter Island heads are visibly charred following the wildfire
Easter Island is closed to the public while heritage experts assess damage to the island’s iconic statues following a wildfire.
The Chilean island, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, saw a wildfire tear through 148 acres (599,000sq m) of the Rapa Nui Natural Park with severe damage caused to the ancient moai head statues dotted across the landscape.
The fire was started on October 3 close to the Rano Raraku volcano. Pedro Edmunds Paoa, the island’s mayor, said the fire could have been started deliberately.
“The damage caused by the fire can't be undone,” he said. “The cracking of an original and emblematic stone cannot be recovered, no matter how many millions of euros or dollars are put into it.”
Ariki Tepano, director of the Ma’u Henua community in charge of the management and maintenance of the park, described the damage as “irreparable and with consequences beyond what your eyes see”, adding that “the moai are totally charred and you can see the effect of the fire upon them.”
The remote island, whose economy is heavily reliant on tourism, will remain closed to the public while authorities assess the fire damage. The island had only reopened to visitors three months ago following a two-year closure thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statues, some of which stand as tall as 4m (13ft), were sculpted by an indigenous tribe more than 500 years ago.
“To prevent fires, we need to have permanent guards at the sites,” said Papa, calling on Unesco and the Chilean government for funding. “Resources are required for its care.”
Heritage
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