Chile Forest Fires: Causes, Deaths, and Southern Devastation
Chilean Wildfires Claim At Least 18 Lives, Expected to Rise
Chilean President Gabriel Boric confirmed on Sunday, January 18, 2026, that at least 18 people have died in wildfires raging across southern Chile, with the expectation that the death toll will increase.
The fires are concentrated in the regions of Ñuble and Biobío. “We have a confirmed number today of 18 people died, but we are certain, unluckily, that that number is going to increase,” President Boric stated during a press conference in Concepción, the capital of Biobío. He specifically mentioned the severe impact on the communities of Penco and Tomé.
Several fires began burning on Saturday in the southern regions,with the commune of Penco,approximately 500 kilometers south of Santiago,experiencing a particularly significant impact.
More information on the wildfires is available at Primicias.ec.