Hundreds of homes evacuated as Patagonia fires grow in Argentina

Forest fires fueled by a heat wave scorched a picturesque corner of Argentina's Patagonia region Thursday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

Strong winds and high temperatures fed a blaze that tore through grassland and forest near the remote village of Epuyen, reducing areas of pristine wilderness to a smouldering ruin.

"The fire grew exponentially yesterday thanks to weather conditions," said provincial governor Ignacio Torres.

An area roughly the size of 1,600 football fields caught fire in only five hours on Wednesday, he said.

Some 50 homes and part of a school were engulfed by the flames and 200 families have been evacuated, Torres added.

Three water-bombing aircraft and hundreds of firefighters and volunteers have been dispatched to the area to try and contain the blaze, which has now veered away from inhabited areas.

Argentina's national weather service has declared 17 of the country's 23 provinces to be suffering "extreme temperatures."

Fires are common in Patagonia's austral summer, but a lack of rainfall and high temperatures have raised the risk this year.

In December, 4,200 hectares of the Nahuel Huapi National Park were burned.