In Pics | Wildfires ravage through southern Chile, charring houses and cars

Devastating wildfires ravaged across southern Chile, killing at least 19 people, authorities said on Sunday (Jan 18). The blazes, which have been burning for two days now, have displaced more than 50,000 people in the Nuble and Biobio regions, about 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of Santiago.

Visuals showed charred homes and vehicles left behind by the inferno that was fueled by strong winds and hot weather conditions. The majority of the fatalities were recorded in Penco, Mayor Rodrigo Vera said.

Residents of the neighbouring Lirquen, a small port town with a population of about 20,000, described how the fire advanced “in seconds”, resulting in devastation across the region. Many people “were saved from the fire because they ran to the beach,” Alejandro Arredondo, a resident, told AFP. “Nothing was left standing.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in Nuble and Biobio. Nearly 4,000 firefighters were deployed to battle the raging wildfires in the high temperatures of the southern hemisphere summer. Armed forces have also been ordered to deploy to assist local authorities.

Boric travelled to the city of Concepcion, which was badly affected by the deadly blaze, to observe the firefighting efforts. He also announced a nighttime curfew in the most affected towns. “Conditions are very difficult,” he warned.

“In difficult times, Chile is united. Our government and the president-elect will work together,” Boric said as he returned to Santiago, vowing to meet president-elect Jose Antonio Kast on Monday (Jan 19) to brief on the forest fires.

The majority of the evacuations were taking place in the Biobio towns of Penco and Lirquen, with a combined population of about 60,000 people, said Alicia Cebrian, the director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response.

Esteban Krause, the head of a forest preservation agency in Biobio, warned of poor weather conditions for firefighters on Sunday due to high temperatures and strong winds.

In recent years, south-central Chile has been facing the wrath of climate change, with wildfires severely affecting the south-central parts of the South American country. The country has also been gripped with extreme weather, droughts and floods.

In February 2024, several wildfires broke out near the city of Vina del Mar, northwest of Santiago. According to authorities, 138 people lost their lives due to the blaze, while about 16,000 were affected.