Easter Island blaze chars famous moai statues

A handout picture from the Rapa Nui municipality shows a fire at the Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island, Chile

This handout picture released by the Rapa Nui municipality shows moai -- stone statues of the Rapa Nui culture -- affected by a fire at the Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island, Chile

A forest fire that tore through part of Easter Island has charred some of its fabled monumental carved stone figures, known as moai, authorities said Thursday. 

An estimated several hundred moai are in that area, as well as in the quarry where the stone used to carve the sculptures is extracted.