An unknown number of the stone-carved statues have been affected by the blaze, Chile's cultural heritage undersecretary said. 

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, has nearly 1000 of the megaliths, known as moai. They have oversized heads and generally stand about 4m high. They were carved by a Polynesian tribe between a 1000 to 500 years ago.   

The fire affected nearly 60 hectares, cultural heritage official Carolina Perez Dattari tweeted. 

It is reported to have been started deliberately, and is centred around Easter Island's Rano Raraku volcano - which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Pedro Edmunds Paoa, Easter Island’s mayor, says he believes the fire was "not an accident", telling local broadcaster Radio Pauta that "all the fires on Rapa Nui are caused by human beings." 

"The damage caused by the fire can’t be undone," Paoa adds. "The cracking of an original and emblematic stone cannot be recovered, no matter how many millions of euros or dollars are put into it."

Easter Island lies 3500km off the coast of Chile. It relies on tourism and reopened just three months ago following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic. The site has now been closed again while a conservation team examines the extent of the damage.

The figures were carved by the indigenous Rapa Nui people sometime between the years 1100 and 1650, and were positioned to form a ring around the island, facing inland. 

They were figures of spiritual devotion for the Rapa Nui, embodying the spirit of a prominent ancestor. Each one was considered to be the person's living incarnation.

BBC