Fire near Machu Picchu brought under control after one dead and two injured

A fire, which started from burning and which threatened the main access route to the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu, in southern Peru, was brought under control after leaving one dead and two injured, firefighters said on Sunday.

The fire broke out on Friday on the slopes of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in the Cusco region, where the Ollantaytambo train station is located, the busiest to get to Machu Picchu.

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“After long hours of uninterrupted fighting, it is confirmed that the fire is completely under control,” the Cusco firefighters said in a statement. “Operations on the ground made it possible to stop the progression of the flames and neutralize the critical points which threatened the area,” they specified.

The fire started from burning brush that farmers are accustomed to lighting at this time of year to clear and gain arable land, according to the head of the Regional Disaster Management and Security Office in Cusco, Miguel Osco. The city of Machu Picchu is Peru's main tourist site and attracts nearly three million visitors per year.