Elías Antonio Salazar, 39, is accused of deliberately starting the blazes because he wanted to be a “hero”. The fires, which killed 137 people and destroyed 2,000 homes, triggered an official “state of catastrophe” around the central beach resort of Viña del Mar in February.

The fire was Chile's deadliest, killing a total of 137 people and leaving many more homeless.

Chilean police on Monday arrested a former fireman for allegedly contributing to a massive blaze that killed 137 people and destroyed thousands of homes in February because he wanted to be a "hero" by helping put it out.

Elías Antonio Salazar is accused of deliberately starting a series of forest fires in Chile which killed 137 people and destroyed 2,000 homes.