Wildfires surge in central Chile as Boric declares catastrophe in Biobío

Wildfires spread as Boric declares catastrophe in Biobío and Ñuble

Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 18 people dead and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said, while the fires forced thousands to flee. Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a “state of catastrophe” in the country’s central Biobío region and the neighboring Ñuble region, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Santiago.

The emergency designation, Boric said in remarks from Concepción in the Biobío region, enables greater coordination with the military to rein in over two dozen active wildfires, the AP reported. The national forestry agency said the blazes had burned 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres).

Boric warns death toll and damage estimates may rise

In his address, Boric expressed support and condolences to victims and warned that the government’s initial reports of 18 people killed and 300 houses destroyed were expected to rise. He estimated that the total number of affected homes in the Biobío region alone was “certainly more than a thousand, just so far.”

Boric also emphasized response priorities. “The first priority, as you know, in these emergencies is always to fight and extinguish the fire,” he said. “But we cannot forget, at any time, that there are human tragedies here, families who are suffering.” “These are difficult times.”

Local officials complained help was slow

The president’s remarks came after complaints from local authorities that for hours, destruction was widespread while help was not arriving, the AP reported. Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of the small coastal town of Penco, told a local radio station earlier Sunday that he had been there for four hours and said: “Dear President Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no (government) presence.” Vera added: “How can a minister do nothing but call me to tell me that the military is going to arrive at some point?”

Heat, winds hamper firefighting as evacuations continue

Firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames as heat and strong winds hampered their efforts. Temperatures topped 38 C (100 F) on Sunday, and conditions were expected to persist through Monday, according to the report.

Álvaro Elizalde, Chile’s interior minister, said: “Weather conditions for coming hours are not good and indicate extreme temperatures.”

Residents said the fires took them by surprise after midnight, trapping them in their homes. John Guzmán, 55, said many people did not evacuate and stayed because they thought the fire would stop at the edge of the forest. “It was completely out of control. No one expected it.”

Penco hit hard; curfew imposed

In Penco, the AP reported that smoke blanketed the sky in an orange haze and that the fire engulfed most of the town, burning cars, a school and a church. Thousands of people scrambled to take refuge in makeshift emergency shelters. Juan Lagos, 52, said: “We fled running, with the kids, in the dark.”

The government imposed a nighttime curfew in the area, and the report said charred bodies were found across fields, homes, along roads and in cars. Víctor Burboa, 54, said: “From what we can see, there are people who died … and we knew them well,” adding: “Everyone here knew them.”

Seasonal risk across Chile and spillover in Argentina

Wildfires afflict central and southern Chile every summer and typically reach a peak in February as temperatures surge, the AP reported, noting that the country has been dealing with a yearslong drought. In 2024, massive fires ripping across Chile’s central coastline killed at least 130 people, becoming the nation’s deadliest natural disaster since a devastating 2010 earthquake.

Neighboring Argentina has also struggled to contain wildfires consuming thousands of acres of forest in recent weeks as its southern Patagonia region experiences a spell of hot, dry weather.