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Dozens Killed As Forest Fires Rage Through Central Chile

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

SANTIAGO (Worthy News) – Chile’s president said Saturday that massive forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have caused at least 46 deaths, and officials warned at least 1,100 homes had been destroyed.

In a nationally televised address, President Gabriel Boric warned that the death toll could worsen as four large fires burn in the region of Valparaiso, where firefighters have struggled to contain the blazes.

It comes as Chile’s capital and other regions are facing a heat wave. “The heat is very dense; you can’t be on the street,” says student Marcela Rodriguez. “Two minutes outside, and you’ll end up fainting.”

Chile’s climate agency officially declares a heat wave when temperatures stay above 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days, agency official Andres Moncada said, adding that Friday and Saturday should see temperatures around 36-37 Celsius.

The South American country’s climate service office had already predicted a hot summer, mainly due to the cyclical El Nino weather phenomenon, which warms the Pacific Ocean.

Back in central Chile, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said there were currently 92 forest fires in the center and south of the country, where temperatures were unusually high. More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed.

The deadliest of the fires were in the region of Valparaíso, where authorities urged people not to leave their homes so that fire engines, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles could get through more efficiently. No details were given about those who died.

MORE FIRES

Tohá 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 threatened the coastal resort town of Viña del Mar, where some neighborhoods have already been badly affected.

“I’ve been here 32 years and never imagined this would happen,” said Rolando Fernández, one of the people who lost his home. He said 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 added.

He spoke as black smoke billowed into the sky over many parts of the Valparaiso area, home to nearly one million inhabitants in central Chile, while firefighters using helicopters and trucks struggled to quell the flames.

Regions around the coastal tourist city of Viña del Mar have been some of the most brutal hit, with fires burning on mountains that are difficult to reach.

Officials reported power blackouts due to the fire, and Tohá said that in the Valparaíso region, four hospitals and three nursing homes for the elderly had to be evacuated. The fire also destroyed two bus terminals, the interior minister added in published remarks.

EL NINO WEATHER

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.

Wildfires are also not uncommon in Chile over summer months, and last year, on the back of a record heat wave, some 27 people died, and more than 400,000 hectares were affected.

However, Tohá said that authorities’ most significant concern was that some of this year’s active fires were developing very close to urban areas.

There was “a very high potential to affect people, homes and facilities,” she said.

The wildfires have revived a debate, with concerned scientists warning that “human-caused global warming” plays a role, while other experts claim climate changes are “natural phenomena” taking place through the centuries.