A woman clears debris from a landscape of charred remains in Santa Ana, Chile.
Fresh wildfires in Chile have claimed the lives of at least 22 people, the country announced on Saturday in an extended emergency declaration. Meanwhile, firefighters struggled to bring dozens of fires under control amid the sweltering heat that has broken records.
The government declared a state of emergency in the La Araucania region, south of Nuble and Biobio, two central-southern regions where emergency declarations had already been issued. This measure allows for greater cooperation with the military.
According to Interior Minister Carolina Toha, at least 22 people have died in connection with the fire and 554 have been injured, 16 of whom are in critical condition. The death toll is likely to rise as Toha said there were unconfirmed reports of at least 10 people missing. Sixteen deaths occurred in Biobio, five in La Araucania and one in Nubile.
Who all died in the forest fire?
The dead included a Bolivian pilot who died when a helicopter helping to combat the flames in La Araucania crashed. A Chilean mechanic also died in the accident.
Over the past week, fires have burned an area equal to what is typically burned in an entire year, Toha said at a news conference. The fires come at a time of record high temperatures. “The thermometer has reached a point we never knew existed until now,” Toha said. As of Saturday morning, there were 251 wildfires burning across Chile, of which 151 were under control, according to Chile’s Senapred disaster agency.
Toha said on Saturday, “Seventy-six new fires started yesterday.” The minister also suggested that the fire should serve as another wake-up call about the effects of climate change.
“The evolution of climate change shows us time and again that it has a centrality and a potential to create an impact that we have to internalize further,” Toha said. “Chile is one of the countries most at risk for climate change, and this is not theory but practical experience.”
Chile is requesting international cooperation to aid the firefighting efforts. “We are requesting support from many countries to address the emergency,” President Gabriel Boric wrote on social media.
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