Emergency declared as Chilean wildfires kill at least 51
VINA DEL MAR, Chile — Wildfires blazing across Chile have killed at least 51 people, leaving bodies in the streets and homes gutted, with flames continuing to spread on Sunday and the toll expected to rise.
President Gabriel Boric decreed a state of emergency in the central and southern parts of the country “due to catastrophe”, as dry conditions and temperatures soaring to 40 C exacerbated the crisis.
Dense gray smoke blanketed the city of Vina del Mar of the Valparaiso tourist region, along central Chile’s coastline, forcing residents to flee.
Rosana Avendano, 63, a kitchen assistant, was away from home when the fire began to sweep through El Olivar, an area of Vina del Mar, where she lives with her husband.
“It was terrible because I couldn’t get (to my house),” Avendano told Agence France-Presse.
She feared the worst for hours, she said, but eventually was able to contact her spouse.
The death toll rose to 51 on Saturday as firefighters battled to control the flames. The forensic medical service had previously reported 45 deaths, but “there are six more people who died in healthcare facilities”, the interior ministry said.
Boric said the number of victims would increase, pledging government support to help people get back on their feet.
Authorities imposed a curfew beginning at 9 pm on Saturday to allow emergency supplies, especially fuel, into the affected areas.
New evacuation orders were issued, but it was unclear exactly how many people had been told to leave.
Earlier on Saturday the Interior Minister Carolina Toha said there had been 92 fires by noon, with 43,000 hectares burned across the country. Firefighters were still battling 29 of the blazes by the afternoon, and 40 had been brought under control.
In the hills around Vina del Mar, it was clear that entire blocks of houses had been burned out overnight from Friday to Saturday, as thousands of people who had evacuated returned to find their homes destroyed.
Some of the dead were seen lying on the road, covered by sheets.
The area, apart from being a popular destination during summer months, is important for the country’s wine, agricultural and logging industries.
The fires are being driven by a summer heat wave and drought affecting southern South America caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, as scientists warn that a warming planet has increased the risk of natural disasters such as intense heat and fires.
As Chile and Colombia battled rising temperatures, the heat wave was also threatening to sweep over Paraguay and Brazil.
In Argentina brigades from several provinces have been fighting a fire that has consumed more than 3,000 hectares in Los Alerces National Park, famed for its beauty and biodiversity, since Jan 25.