Chile Wildfires Kill 18 As President Boric Declares State Of Catastrophe

At least 18 people have been killed as raging wildfires swept through southern Chile, forcing the evacuation of nearly 20,000 residents, authorities have confirmed.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric early Sunday declared a state of catastrophe in the Ñuble and Bío Bío regions, about 500 kilometres south of the capital, Santiago, as firefighters battled multiple blazes under extreme weather conditions.

“In light of the serious ongoing wildfires, I have decided to declare a state of catastrophe in the regions of Ñuble and Bio Bío. All resources are available,” Boric said in a post on X.

According to Chile’s forestry agency, CONAF, firefighters were battling 24 active fires nationwide as of Sunday morning, with the largest outbreaks concentrated in the affected regions.

President Boric later confirmed the death toll after a meeting with mayors of impacted municipalities in the southern city of Concepcion.

“At least 18 people have died as a result of the fires,” he said.

Authorities disclosed that the fires have already consumed nearly 8,500 hectares of land, destroying at least 250 homes and threatening several communities, prompting mass evacuation orders.

Chile’s disaster response agency, Senapred, attributed the rapid spread of the fires to strong winds and extreme heat, which have also hampered firefighting efforts. Temperatures were expected to rise to 38 degrees Celsius from Santiago to Bío Bío on Sunday and Monday.

Chile, alongside neighbouring Argentina, has been grappling with intense heat waves since the start of the year, with Argentina’s Patagonia region also experiencing devastating wildfires earlier this month.

Efforts to contain the fires remained ongoing as emergency services braced for worsening conditions.