Alexander Villegas
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of disaster in two southern regions of the country early on Sunday as raging wildfires forced the evacuation of at least 20,000 people and killed at least 16 people.
Firefighters were battling 24 fires across the country as of Sunday morning, according to Chile’s CONAF forestry agency, the largest of which were in the Nubur and Bio-Bio regions where the government declared a state of emergency. These areas are located approximately 500 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.
“In light of the ongoing severe wildfires, I have decided to declare a state of disaster for the Nubor and Bio-Bio areas. All resources are available,” Borik said in a post on X.
Security Minister Luis Cordero told reporters on Sunday morning that 15 people had been confirmed dead in the Bio Bio region, bringing the total to 16 after the government confirmed deaths in Nubor province on Saturday.
The fires in the two areas have so far burned nearly 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres), endangering several communities in the region and prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders.
Chile’s Senapred disaster relief agency said nearly 20,000 people had been evacuated and at least 250 homes destroyed.
Authorities say unfavorable conditions such as strong winds and high temperatures are fueling the spread of wildfires and complicating firefighters’ ability to control them. Much of Chile is under an extreme heat alert, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) from Santiago to Bio Bio on Sunday and Monday.
Chile and Argentina have both experienced extreme temperatures and heat waves since the start of the year, with devastating wildfires erupting in Argentine Patagonia earlier this month.
(Reporting by Alexander Villegas in San Diego; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
