Fire in Chilean city of Valparaíso destroys about 50 homes
Firefighters extinguishing fire in Chile
Afirein a poor neighbourhood of the coastalChileancityofValparaísodestroyed dozens of houses on Tuesday andfirefighters struggled to control the blaze, authorities said.
Inhabitants fled theirhomesin the middle of Christmas Eve festivities, some losing all their belongings and even pets, awitness said.
"The entireValparaísoFireDepartment with support from neighboring units is deployed. Thefirehas consumedabout50homes,"firefighters said on Twitter. Two nearby neighbourhoods were being evacuated, they said.
The blaze, fed by high Southern Hemisphere summer temperatures and strong winds, started in a forested area and spread to thecity,firefighters said.
Valparaiso, known for its colourful wood-frame houses, is popular among tourists in the South American country.