Chile declared a state of disaster on Monday, January 19, after 26 firefighters battled across the country after a massive wildfire killed at least 19 people, CNN reported.
The wildfires have scorched more than 54,000 acres so far, affecting an area roughly the size of Cleveland. The largest fire occurred near Concepcion, a coastal region in central Chile.
The fire spread quickly, catching many people by surprise, including the Carmanio family. Ana and her husband, Luis Camano, were clearing away ashes from their home this week after a fast-moving fire swept through the town of Liquin, about 25 miles northeast of Concepcion.
Their son Franco tried to douse the house with a hose, but strong winds blew him away in thick smoke.
“It came like lightning, so fast,” Franco said.
According to preliminary estimates, more than 300 homes were destroyed by the fire and another 1,100 homes are being assessed for damage. These numbers are expected to increase as emergency crews move into fire-affected areas.
Chile and neighboring Argentina began 2026 with persistent heat waves. In mid-January, temperatures in central and southern Chile were near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and this year’s heat warnings and record high temperatures have affected Argentina.
On January 13, the temperature in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit and a heat warning was in effect, but the weather felt even hotter. The heat index (which includes temperature and humidity) climbed to 100°F that day.
Extreme heat and strong winds have fueled this week’s wildfires.
“Unfortunately, yesterday, Sunday and today, Monday we are expecting the highest temperatures both in the Nubur region and in the Bio Bio region,” Andrés Moncada, a meteorologist at the Chilean Meteorological Institute, told Cooperativa.
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“Currently, we have several weather stations with temperatures around 37 degrees Celsius, and there is still a possibility of a rise of a few tenths of a degree,” Moncada observed.
Average temperatures have hovered at unprecedented levels for the past three years. A warming world is exacerbating heat waves and droughts and increasing the risk of wildfires; 2025 is the third warmest year on record for Earth.
A preliminary annual climate report for 2025 released by the Chilean Meteorological Service described the year as “unusually warm and dry”, consistent with global patterns.
“Chile’s average temperature reached 13.44°C, 1.13°C above the 1961-1990 climate average and 0.69°C above the 1991-2020 average, matching the record set in 2016,” the report states.
“Such results have completed 16 consecutive years of being above the historical average.”
Rainfall in 2025 was 25.8% below the national average, making it the 11th driest year since 1961. 2016-2025 was the driest decade on record, with an average deficit of 21.5%.
Precipitation has been below average for 19 consecutive years since 2007, straining water resources and ecosystems and disrupting agricultural and industrial activities. Chile launched an ambitious green energy plan in 2019 to help combat the effects of an overheating planet.
The country is phasing out coal-fired power plants and replacing them with solar thermal plants and batteries.
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