Chile: Emergency State and 22 Dead Due Forest Fires

February 3, 2024 Hour: 2:14 pm

In Chile, the president Gabriel Boric declared an Emergency State as forest fires continue devastating the central regions, leaving several people feared dead and destroying thousands of hectares of forestland.

“The situation of forest fires, especially in the 5th region, is very difficult due to the temperatures and winds… I have also decided to declare a state of emergency due to a catastrophe to have all the necessary resources,” the president said.

To combat the forest fires, Boric has has mobilized all available forces to combat the fires, with emergency services set to assess the catastrophic situation.

On the other hand, the Interior Minister, Carolina Tohá, confirmed on Saturday that at least the death of 22 people as a result of forest fires that affect the Valparaíso Region and whose emergency is centered in Viña del Mar and Quilpué.

⚠️#ViñadelMar ��#I.F Totalmente Descontrolado Troncal Sur. Altura Puente Las Cucharas. pic.twitter.com/uTPhozfanJ

— �� InfosChile �� (@INF0SCHILE)
February 2, 2024

“We have different data, some reports speak of 10 people, others of 16. But we will have a more consolidated number (by Saturday morning),” said the minister on a statement.

Carolina Tohá said an estimated 1,000 homes were affected, announcing a curfew from 8:00 a.m. local time to noon on Saturday in several towns in Valparaíso to speed up the arrival of emergency services and avoid unnecessary travel as well.

Among the worst affected areas are Quilpué, Villa Alemana, El Olivar, and the Chacao Canal, towns surrounding the coastal city of Viña del Mar, in the central eastern part of the country.

Experts attribute such incidents to rising temperatures and a forestry model focused on monoculture of pine and eucalyptus. Despite recent wet winters, concerns persist as specialists warn of ongoing drought conditions and the potential for easily combustible vegetation in the south-central region of Chile.