Fire charred 50 sq. miles in Chilean park SANTIAGO, Chile, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A wildfire charred 50 square miles of Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile, Finance Minister Paul Longueira said Tuesday. Longueira viewed the damage from a helicopter before conferring by video link with President Sebastian Pinera, La Tercera reported. The two will discuss when the park, which was closed Friday at the height of the busy summer season, can reopen. While Longueira said the situation in the park is "bleak," he said about 70 percent of the area that burned is grassland. That will come back more quickly than forest, he said. Chilean officials allege the fire was accidentally caused by an Israeli tourist, identified as Roland Singer, who was trying to dispose of used toilet paper by burning it, Ynetnews reported. The Jerusalem Post reported Singer, in an interview with Israel's Army Radio Sunday, denied the fire was his fault. "I am not responsible for the fire," he said. They cast the blame on me and I did not confess to anything. He said there may have been miscommunication between him and Chilean authorities because of language differences. If found guilty, he could face a possible 60 days in jail and a $300 fine for negligence. The Israeli Foreign Ministry in a statement Tuesday said the government would not pay compensation for the fire but Israel would offer recovery assistance to Chile. The park in Patagonia is known for its dramatic scenery, including a glacier and mountain massif. It was hit by large wildfires in 1985 and 2005, both started by careless visitors from overseas.