Officials announced on Saturday that intense forest fires near a densely populated area in central Chile have resulted in at least 46 deaths and the destruction of about 1,100 homes. President Gabriel Boric stated that the number of casualties is expected to rise in the coming hours. The Interior Minister Carolina Tohá reported 92 ongoing forest fires in the central and southern regions of the country, where temperatures have been unusually high this week.
The deadliest fires are located in the Valparaíso region, prompting authorities to advise residents to stay at home in order to facilitate the movement of fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles.
Residents are being evacuated by the help of military personnel after a fire broke out in Valparaiso, Chile.
Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu via Getty Images
Tohá did not provide specific information about the deceased individuals. She mentioned that two fires near the towns of Quilpué and Villa Alemana had burned through at least 8,000 hectares (19,770 acres) since Friday. One of the fires was posing a threat to the coastal resort town of Viña del Mar, where some neighborhoods have already been significantly impacted. In Villa Independencia, a hillside neighborhood on the eastern edge of town, several blocks of homes and businesses were completely destroyed. The streets were covered in ashes, with burnt-out cars and broken windows, leaving residents devastated.
Three shelters have been established in the Valparaíso region, with more than 450 firefighters and 19 helicopters deployed to control the blazes. Rescue teams were facing challenges in reaching the most severely affected neighborhoods. The fires are burning on hard-to-reach mountains and have affected neighborhoods that were precariously built on the edge of Viña del Mar. There have also been reports of blackouts in the region. Tohá mentioned that four hospitals and three nursing homes for the elderly had to be evacuated due to the fire, as well as two bus terminals.
The El Niño weather pattern has resulted in droughts and higher temperatures along the western coast of South America this year, increasing the risk of forest fires. In January, Colombia experienced the destruction of over 42,000 acres of forests due to fires following weeks of dry weather.
