A firefighter and a forestry worker in Chile have been remanded in custody and charged with arson for allegedly starting an inferno that left at least 137 people dead, VOA reports.

The blaze, which occurred in February, was also said to have affected 16,000 people whose homes were destroyed.

The country’s police director, Eduardo Cerna, said one of the suspects is a National Forestry Corporation employee responsible for fighting forest fires.

According to him, the materials used to start the fire were found in the home of one of the suspects, adding that investigators are examining possible links to other arson attacks.

“There were approximately four outbreaks, equidistant from each other,” the prosecutor, Osvaldo Ossandón.

The commander of the 13th Fire Company in Valparaiso, Vicente Maggiolo, said, “We are completely devastated by what happened. It is a totally isolated incident. We have served Valparaiso for more than 170 years and cannot allow such things.”

The fire is considered Chile’s deadliest, and authorities alleged that several fires simultaneously started before high temperatures and wind spread the flames.