At least 16 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced by devastating wildfires sweeping across southern Chile, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency in two regions.
President Gabriel Boric announced a catastrophe declaration for the Ñuble and Biobío regions after fast-spreading forest fires engulfed residential areas amid extreme summer heat and powerful winds. The affected regions are located around 500 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago.
Chile’s forestry authorities said firefighters were battling at least 24 active wildfires nationwide as of Sunday, with the most severe blazes concentrated in Ñuble and Biobío. Officials confirmed that 15 people died in Biobío, while one additional fatality was recorded in Ñuble.
In a statement, President Boric said all available state resources had been deployed to confront what he described as a critical emergency. Security Minister Luis Cordero told reporters that rescue teams and emergency services were operating under extremely challenging conditions.
The fires, which erupted on Saturday during the peak of the southern hemisphere summer, have already burned nearly 8,500 hectares of land. Chile’s disaster response agency said around 20,000 people had been evacuated, while at least 250 homes were destroyed, leaving many families homeless.
Authorities warned that soaring temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds have accelerated the spread of the fires and hindered containment efforts. Large parts of Chile remain under extreme heat alerts, raising concerns that the situation could worsen.
Chile and neighboring Argentina have both experienced intense heatwaves since the start of the year. The country is still haunted by memories of February 2024, when massive wildfires near Viña del Mar killed 138 people in one of the deadliest natural disasters in Chile’s history.
Emergency officials continue to urge residents in high-risk areas to comply with evacuation orders as firefighters work to contain the flames and prevent further loss of life.
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