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Dozens of wildfires in Chile have claimed at least 13 lives and burned some 14,000 hectares, authorities said Friday, as a summer heat wave swept the southern hemisphere country.
Eleven people, including firefighters, were killed in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, an area about 500 kilometers south of the capital Santiago, local authorities said.
The agriculture minister also reported that an emergency support helicopter in the southern region of La Araucania had crashed, killing the pilot and mechanic.
States of disaster have been declared in the neighboring agricultural and forest areas of Biobio and Nuble, prompting the deployment of soldiers and additional resources.
More danger ahead
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed as 39 fires rage across the country, Interior Minister Carolina Toha said.
“The situation in the coming days will be risky,” Toha told reporters.
He said ground equipment and a fleet of 63 aircraft were available to strengthen the fire fight, with help from Brazil and Argentina.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Friday cut short his summer vacation and traveled to Nuble and Biobio, which has a population of nearly 2 million people.
“My role as president now is to make sure that all resources will be available for emergencies and that people feel that they will not be alone,” said Boric of Biobio.
They also showed “signs” that some of the fires may have been started intentionally.
Several families fled to shelters, according to Chile’s disaster agency Senapred. The fire disrupted traffic on the highway, and many settlements have been evacuated.
Friday’s weather forecast predicts temperatures of over 38 C in Nuble’s capital, Chillan, with strong winds making fire conditions dangerous.
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