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The Chilean government has declared a state of emergency after wildfires in the south of the country killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, officials said Sunday.
Security Minister Luis Cordero reported that 14 blazes have been burning for two days in the Nuble and Biobio regions, around 500 kilometres south of Santiago.
President Gabriel Boric ordered the emergency measures as nearly 4,000 firefighters battled flames fueled by gusting winds and high temperatures during the southern hemisphere summer.
Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde described the situation as “complicated,” while Boric said on X that all resources are being mobilised to respond to the crisis. The state of emergency also allows the armed forces to join firefighting efforts.
Alicia Cebrian, director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, said most evacuations occurred in Penco and Lirquen, towns in Biobio with a combined population of about 60,000.
Residents described scenes of destruction and near-death escapes. Matias Cid, a 25-year-old student in Penco, said he fled the flames with only the clothes on his back, warning that waiting another 20 minutes could have been fatal.
Lirquen, a small port town, was also heavily affected, with residents reportedly saving themselves by rushing to the beach, according to 57-year-old local Alejandro Arredondo, who said “there is nothing left standing” as he surveyed the charred remains of homes.
Meanwhile, Esteban Krause, head of a forest preservation agency in Biobio, warned that the forecast of high temperatures and strong winds would make firefighting even more difficult.
Wildfires have repeatedly devastated south-central Chile in recent years. In February 2024, simultaneous fires near Vina del Mar killed 138 people and affected about 16,000, authorities said.
