intense heat and strong winds hampered the efforts of firefighters to extinguish the flames which blazed through 8,500 hectares of land in central and southern Chile
Eighteen people have been killed as wildfires ravaged parts of Chile, as the country faces a blistering heat wave.
Central and southern Chile were devastated by wildfires on Sunday, January 18, which have blazed through 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) o
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the central Biobio and neighboring Ñuble regions Monday, as wildfires continue to rage through the area. The declaration suspends constitutional rights and allows for increased military coordination to combat the more than two dozen active fires.
Boric said the government anticipates the current death toll of 18 and reports of 300 destroyed homes will rise as damage assessments continue.He estimated the number of affected homes in the Biobio region alone is “certainly more than a thousand,just so far.”
The crisis prompted widespread evacuations, with approximately 50,000 people fleeing their homes Sunday. Local officials have criticized the government’s response, citing a lack of support on the ground.
“Dear President Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no (government) presence,” said Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of Penco, in a radio interview.
Boric acknowledged the suffering of those affected, stating, “The first priority…is always to fight and extinguish the fire. But we cannot forget, at any time, that there are human tragedies here, families who are suffering. Thes are tough times.”
