He caused a massacre while trying to be a hero! 137 people tragically lost their lives by burning.

An ex-firefighter in Chile, aged 39, allegedly started a fire intentionally in order to be a hero and receive overtime pay. As a result of this fire, 137 people lost their lives.

The incident occurred in February near Vina del Mar, a popular holiday destination in Chile. Four major fires started simultaneously in the area. The suspect is accused of starting at least one of them.

This person had previously worked as a volunteer in Chile's National Disaster Protection Service. According to prosecutors, his intention was to appear as a hero who helps in emergencies. He had been referred to as a "hero" in the past for extinguishing another fire.

The suspect was arrested along with two other individuals. The other two are a firefighter and a forest ranger. The police believe that the trio planned this together. The arrested firefighter admitted that they wanted to gain the admiration of the community and receive overtime pay.

The fire started in a national park with cigarettes thrown from the suspect's car. Dry weather and strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly. Thousands of homes were destroyed.

Authorities had long suspected that the fire was intentionally started. Local fire chief Vicente Maggiolo expressed sadness about the situation but emphasized that this was an exceptional case.

This incident could undermine trust in the fire department. However, officials state that this is a rare exception in the 170-year history of the fire department.