Go Back
Tropical depression forms in the Gulf of Mexico. Click to see where it is headed. Chevron right
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway. Find out how many storms are forecast to develop this year. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

69°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

69°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

Top Stories AccuWeather Early AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Climate Travel Health Recreation Business Sports
Air Quality Alert

News / Weather News

Wildfire damages iconic landmarks on Easter Island

The fire occurred just months after the tourist area was reopened following a years-long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The damage "can’t be undone,” the local mayor said.

By Daniela Vivas Labrador, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Oct 7, 2022 1:25 PM EDT | Updated Oct 10, 2022 10:47 AM EDT

Copied
Live Coverage For all things weather, 24 hours a day.

A wildfire swept through part of Easter Island in early October, damaging some of the island’s iconic carved heads known as moai.

On Monday, Easter Island’s Rano Raraku volcano erupted, causing a wildfire that swept through the Rano Raraku area and damaged the island's iconic stone heads. 

Rano Raraku is also known as the moai statue quarry, where about 400 stone heads are scattered. About half of the iconic statues -- a popular draw for tourists -- were finished, while the rest never reached a completed state, according to an Easter Island travel website.

Some of the stone heads, which have stood for at least 500 years if not much longer, may now be permanently damaged as the fire burned around 250 acres of the quarry. 

Easter Island's iconic stone heads suffered permanent damage after a wildfire swept through the national park. (Rapa Nui Municipality / AFP)

Rapa Nui Municipality / AFP

The remote, volcanic island in Polynesia is a Chilean territory, despite being located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and 2,200 miles away from mainland Chile.

This national park was designated as a statue-making factory in 1935 because of the tuff rock that was found on it, according to Chile’s National Forest Corporation website.

The fire came just three months after the island opened back up to tourism following two years of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fire has once again delayed the island’s ability to bring in tourism revenue. 

“The damage caused by the fire can't be undone,” said Pedro Edmunds, the mayor of Easter Island.

SEE ALSO:

'Once-in-a-lifetime' moment caught on video by kayaker
Colorado’s annual tarantula migration is a must-see vermin event
One of world's most famous waterfalls thunders again after heavy rains

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Severe Weather

Risk of severe storms to linger across central US

Jun. 1, 2023
Astronomy

June’s short nights to bring plenty of stargazing opportunities

May 31, 2023
Weather Forecasts

Chicago summer forecast: AccuWeather calling for more heat than 2022

May 31, 2023
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

Top Stories

AccuWeather Early

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Climate

Travel

Health

Recreation

Business

Sports

Top Stories

Hurricane

Tropical depression forms in Gulf of Mexico

1 hour ago

Weather Forecasts

Dramatic cooldown to follow surge of warmth

23 minutes ago

Weather Forecasts

AccuWeather’s 2023 Europe summer forecast

1 day ago

Health

Wildfire smoke not entirely to blame for poor air quality in Northeast

1 day ago

Hurricane

AccuWeather's 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast

9 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

Your Local Asthma Forecast

Featured Stories

Travel

Search suspended for Va. man who went overboard from cruise ship

13 hours ago

Live Blog

Astronomy news: New record set during private SpaceX mission

LATEST ENTRY

17 humans briefly orbited Earth at the same time

12 hours ago

Sports

Dramatic rescue caught on camera after woman falls into raging rapids

2 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News Wildfire damages iconic landmarks on Easter Island
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2023 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK