In central Chile, a relentless battle against raging forest fires is underway, claiming 112 lives and leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins. President Gabriel Boric acknowledges the nation is grappling with a “tragedy of very great magnitude,” as hundreds remain missing, raising concerns that the death toll will climb higher with the discovery of more bodies amid the devastation.
The fires, intensifying since Friday, are now encroaching on the outskirts of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, two coastal cities popular among tourists. The urban expanse, home to over a million residents west of Santiago, faces imminent danger. Drone footage captured by Reuters reveals scorched neighborhoods, with residents sifting through the remnants of burnt-out homes and streets filled with charred vehicles.
Pedro Quezada, a local builder in Valparaiso, recounts the relentless heat and wind that swept through the region, forcing people to disperse in the face of the unrelenting flames. Social media videos depict hillside fires dangerously close to apartment blocks in Valparaiso, casting thick haze over urban areas and severely limiting visibility.
To curb the escalating crisis, Chilean authorities have imposed a 9 p.m. curfew in the most affected areas and enlisted military support to aid firefighters. Helicopters drop water from the air in an attempt to extinguish the flames. The state coroner, Chile’s Legal Medical Service, reports a death toll of 112, a stark increase from 51 on the previous day.
President Boric, announcing a two-day national mourning period starting Monday, prepares the nation for more distressing news. With 165 fires raging across the country, Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve estimates around 14,000 homes damaged in Vina del Mar and Quilpué. Residents returning to their homes find them nearly unrecognizable, with many losing all their belongings.
Sergio Espejo, a welder, and his wife, Maria Soledad Suarez, search through the ashes of their workshop and home, salvaging small items from the debris. The devastation is overwhelming for Espejo, lamenting the loss of a lifetime’s worth of tools. These wildfires, although not unusual during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, stand out for their lethality, marking the country’s worst national disaster since the 2010 earthquake.
Boric’s focus is on directing funds to the hardest-hit areas, particularly those popular with tourists. Despite the challenges, the president emphasizes unity in the face of the emergency, with the top priority being the preservation of lives.
