A devastating wave of wildfires in central and southern Chile has claimed the lives of at least 19 people, prompting President Gabriel Boric to declare a state of catastrophe in the Nuble and Bio Bio regions.
As of Monday, emergency teams were battling 34 active blazes fueled by record-breaking heat and volatile wind conditions.
The coastal city of Penco, located just north of Concepcion, has suffered the majority of the fatalities.
Nationwide, the destruction is immense -325 homes have been leveled, and authorities are currently evaluating damage to another 1,100 structures. To date, over 35,000 hectares of land, an area roughly the size of Philadelphia, have been scorched.
Security Minister Luis Cordero emphasized that while some fires were managed overnight, extreme temperatures reaching up to 37°C (99°F) continue to pose a high risk for new outbreaks. Miguel Castillo, a professor at the University of Chile, noted that the fires have become an “uncontrollable monster” due to an unusual heat wave lasting four to five days and shifting winds that make containment nearly impossible.
The crisis is part of a broader regional weather pattern that has also affected neighboring Argentina, where wildfires recently consumed 15,000 hectares in the Patagonia region.
In Chile, survivors in areas like Lirquen have begun the grim task of sifting through the remains of their homes as the government continues mass evacuations to prevent further loss of life. Residents described the fire’s arrival as instantaneous, leaving them almost no time to flee the fast-moving flames.
