Chile fires: 19 dead, curfew imposed, widespread destruction
The death toll from the violent forest fires sweeping through southern Chile has risen to at least 19, according to the latest official data from the authorities, as President Gabriel Burrich declared a state of disaster and imposed a nighttime curfew in the worst-affected areas to control the security situation and facilitate evacuations.
Security Minister Luis Cordero confirmed that the current death toll stands at 19, noting that the vast majority (18 victims) died in the Biobío region, while one death was recorded in the Noble region. These figures follow an earlier announcement by President Burić from Concepción, the crisis management center, in which he anticipated a rise in the number of victims due to the difficulty of accessing some of the affected areas.
Thousands evacuated and widespread destruction of infrastructure
As the fires continued to rage, authorities reported that more than 50,000 people had been evacuated from their homes for their safety. The fires broke out on Saturday in the provinces of Nuevo and Vióvio, located approximately 500 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago. This disaster coincides with the peak of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, when high temperatures and strong winds contribute to the rapid spread of the flames.
In terms of material losses, the fires have destroyed at least 300 homes so far, but the Chilean president warned that this number is “much lower than reality,” suggesting that the number of destroyed homes will exceed 1,000 once the damage assessment is completed, especially in the coastal towns of Benco and Lercuín, which witnessed the total destruction of several neighborhoods.
Horrifying accounts: Fires engulf neighborhoods in seconds
News agencies carried harrowing accounts from surviving residents. “At 2:30 a.m., the fire was completely out of control,” said Mathias Seid, 25, a student from the town of Penko. Describing the speed of the disaster, he added, “The fire spread so fast that we couldn’t save anything. If we had been just 20 minutes later, we would all be dead.”.
In the neighboring town of Lerquín, Alejandro Arredondo, 57, described the scene, saying: “The fire spread in seconds and engulfed several neighborhoods,” noting that many miraculously survived by fleeing to the beach, leaving behind their homes, which were reduced to rubble and charred concrete.
Environmental and climatic context: Why do fires keep recurring?
Chile is among the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change in Latin America. For over a decade, the country has been grappling with what is known as the "Great Drought," which has left forests and agricultural areas scorched and ablaze. This situation is exacerbated by extreme weather events such as El Niño, which raises temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, leading to record-breaking heat waves and severe droughts in coastal and inland regions.
Environmental reports indicate that the frequency and intensity of these fires are no longer an isolated incident, but have become a seasonal pattern that threatens biodiversity and the local economy, especially in southern regions that rely heavily on agriculture and forestry.
Government measures and calls for national unity
In response to the crisis, President Burić declared a state of natural disaster, a constitutional measure that allows for the deployment of the military to assist in firefighting and maintaining security. Some 3,700 firefighters were mobilized to combat the blazes in what the National Forestry Service described as “very difficult” weather conditions and as being “completely out of control.”.
In a political gesture aimed at unifying the country, Burrich pledged to meet with political leaders from across the spectrum, emphasizing that “Chile is united in difficult times.” These moves come at a sensitive time, as the country still mourns the tragic February 2014 fires in Viña del Mar, which claimed 138 lives, placing additional pressure on the government to improve its disaster response strategies.
