Catastrophic wildfires kill dozens in Chile

Chilean President Gabriel Boric said that at least 46 people have died in the wildfires spreading across the country. He added that the number of victims is likely to rise, NBC reported today, February 4.

The Chilean leader acknowledged the loss of life and property, and pledged that the government would work hard to provide resources. "I know that this is a very difficult moment, losing a home that has been built over many years. Losing a family member, a loved one, is an indescribable pain, but rest assured that the Chilean government will deploy all its human, technical and budgetary resources," he said.

Forest fire burned down many houses in Viña del Ma city, Chile on February 3.

“We will work to put the largest resources in history to deal with a bushfire season and deploy them from day one to stop the bushfires and help people,” he added.

This is not the first time that large-scale forest fires have occurred in Chile. Previously, in February 2023, a series of consecutive forest fires raged across Chile, destroying more than 400,000 hectares, killing at least 22 people and injuring 554.

Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said the fires are multiplying rapidly and spreading further into urban areas, potentially affecting more people and infrastructure as Chile grapples with a brutal heatwave.

President Boric has declared a state of emergency and issued a red alert in at-risk areas. A curfew has been extended for the Chilean cities of Quilpué, Viña del Mar, Linache and Villa Alemana until February 5 to allow for firefighting and evacuations. Meanwhile, Chile's Ministry of Education has set up 20 shelters in the country's Valparaíso, O'Higgins and Los Lagos regions.

Cars burned in a forest fire in Viña del Ma city, Chile on February 3.

A total of 19 helicopters and more than 450 firefighters were dispatched to the area to extinguish the fire. In addition, all major commercial events in Valparaíso (Chile) were suspended to focus on fighting the fire.

In another development, Australia is also suffering from the latest scorching heat wave on February 4. The Australian weather agency has issued heat wave warnings in several populous states in the country, many of which could experience temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, hot and dry conditions combined with strong winds have prompted Australia's weather agency to issue extreme bushfire warnings for parts of the Australian states of Victoria and South Australia.

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