Chile Wildfire: At least 19 dead as forest fires approach densely populated central areas

Intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have left at least 19 people dead and destroyed about 1,100 homes, officials said Saturday.

According to Chile’s Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, a total of 92 forest fires are currently burning in the central and southern regions of the country, exacerbated by unusually high temperatures this week.

The most fatal blazes are concentrated in the Valparaíso region, prompting officials to advise residents against evacuating their homes to facilitate the passage of emergency vehicles, including fire trucks and ambulances.

Tohá did not offer any details about the 19 people killed.

She said that two fires near the towns of Quilpué and Villa Alemana had burnt through at least 8,000 hectares (19,770 acres) since Friday. One of the fires was threatening the coastal resort town of Viña del Mar, where some neighbourhoods have already been badly affected.

In Villa Independencia, a hillside neighbourhood on the eastern edge of town, several blocks of homes and businesses were destroyed. Burnt-out cars with broken windows lined the streets, which were covered in ashes.

“I’ve been here 32 years, and never imagined this would happen” said Rolando Fernández, one of the residents who lost his home. He explained that he first saw the fire burning on a nearby hill on Friday afternoon. Within 15 minutes the area was engulfed in flames and smoke, forcing everyone to run for their lives.

“I’ve worked my whole life, and now I’m left with nothing,” Fernández said.

Three shelters have been set up in the Valparaíso region, and 19 helicopters and more than 450 firefighters have been brought into the area to control the blazes, Tohá said. Rescue teams were still struggling to reach the most heavily affected neighbourhoods, she said.

The fires are burning on mountains that are hard to reach and have affected neighbourhoods that were built precariously on the edge of Viña del Mar.

Officials have also reported blackouts as a result of the fire. Tohá said that in the region of Valparaíso, four hospitals had to be evacuated as well as three nursing homes for the elderly. The fire also destroyed two bus terminals, the interior minister said.

The El Niño weather pattern has caused droughts and hotter-than-usual temperatures along the west of South America this year, increasing the risk of forest fires. In January, more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of forests were destroyed in Colombia by fires that followed several weeks of dry weather.

With inputs from AP.