Peruvian firefighters were fighting to contain a forest fire near the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, as on Thursday the fire threatened to close in the ancient city of the Andean mountains.
The fire, which had engulfed an area about half the size of Vatican City, was started on Tuesday by farmers burning grass and debris to prepare for planting.
As of Wednesday, about 20 acres (49 acres) had been affected by the fire, the mayor of the nearby city of Cusco said.
Machu Picchu, a complex of stone structures on top of a mountain, was built more than 500 years ago by the Incas, whose empire controlled large strips of South America from what is now southern South America. Ecuador to central Chile.
The distance from the fire has made it difficult for firefighters to act.
“We have been fighting the forest fire for two days now and it has not been possible to control it, as the area is quite inaccessible,” said Roberto Abarca, director of the Cusco’s risk and safety management office.
The impressive ruins, which have made the Cusco region the main tourist destination in Peru, are considered one of the seven new wonders of the world.