Chile declares ‘state of catastrophe’ as wildfires kill at least 18

As raging wildfires forced at least 50 000 people to evacuate and were killed by Chile’s president, Gabriel Boric, on Sunday in two southern regions, the country’s president declared a state of catastrophe.

As of Sunday morning, Chile’s forestry agency CONAF reported that firefighters were battling 24 active fires in the state’s Nuble and Biobio regions, with the most of them occurring in the provinces of Nuble and Biobio. The area is located 310 kilometers south of Santiago, the city’s capital.

“I’ve made the decision to declare a state of catastrophe in the areas of Double and Biobo due to the serious wildfires that are already occurring. Boric stated in a post on X that “all resources are available.”

In the two regions so far, nearly 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) have been consumed by fires, which have threatened several communities and issued evacuation orders.

According to officials, extreme weather, including strong winds and high temperatures, has accelerated the spread of wildfires and made it more difficult for firefighters to control them. Extreme heat alerts were in place for a large portion of Chile on Sunday and Monday, with temperatures expected to reach 38C (100F) from Santiago to Biobio.

South-central Chile has experienced severe wildfires in recent years as a result of growing evidence of the country’s extreme weather, drought, and flood impacts.

The public prosecutor’s office reported that 138 people died in the two fires that erupted simultaneously in Vina del Mar, northwest of Santiago, in February 2024.