Wildfires in southern Chile have killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, authorities said Sunday.
Security Minister Luis Cordero confirmed the casualties as blazes continued to rage for the second day in the Nuble and Biobio regions, roughly 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Santiago.
President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency to bolster firefighting efforts amid gusting winds and hot summer conditions. Nearly two dozen fires are burning nationwide, with Nuble and Biobio hardest hit.
“We face a complicated situation,” Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde said, describing the scale of the emergency.
The state of emergency allows the armed forces to assist in containment and relief operations. Boric announced the measure on the social media platform X, stating, “All resources are available.”
Alicia Cebrian, director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, said most evacuations occurred in the Biobio cities of Penco and Lirquen, which together have a population of about 60,000. Local media footage showed flames engulfing streets and charred vehicles in the area.
South-central Chile has been repeatedly affected by wildfires in recent years. In February 2024, fires near Vina del Mar killed 138 people and affected roughly 16,000 residents, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to recurring fire disasters.
