Firefighters in Chile are battling forest fires that have killed at least 19 people and forced about 50,000 residents to evacuate their homes, as the blazes moved through the country’s central and southern regions.
The wildfires began Sunday and were still spreading Monday, according to Chile’s National Service for the Prevention of Disasters, which said 15 fires remained active. The agency said the fires have destroyed homes, vehicles, infrastructure and forests.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe for the central Biobio and neighboring Ñuble regions on Sunday. The emergency designation allows greater coordination with the military to help with firefighting efforts, officials said.
Boric said the fires have burned through at least 30,000 hectares. In a press conference Monday, he said, “Controlling fires of this magnitude, with unfavorable weather conditions like high temperature, wind, and a lack of humidity is a tremendously difficult job,”
Boric thanked nations that have sent firefighters and supplies to Chile, including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Chilean officials said 325 homes have been destroyed by the wildfires, while another 1,140 homes have been damaged.
Police are investigating the causes of the current wave of wildfires. Boric said in Monday remarks that in “99% of cases” wildfires in Chile are the result of human behavior.
Wildfires are common in Chile during summer, with high temperatures and dry weather increasing the risk. The current outbreak of fires in central and southern Chile has been described as among the deadliest in recent years, with authorities also pointing to the impact of prior disasters.
In 2024, massive fires along Chile’s central coastline killed at least 130 people, becoming the nation’s deadliest natural disaster since a 2010 earthquake.