Since 2017, chili suffers massive forest fires, which have reached populated areas of Valparaíso and other regions. The fire has spread to areas constructed on unauthorized sites This Saturday afternoon, President Gabriel Boric confirmed the death toll and a curfew in four municipalities.
Due to the emergency, the President of chili, Gabriel Boricdecreed on Friday State of emergency due to a disasterto have “all the necessary resources” to put out the flames.
Chile in flames
The This Saturday there were renewed forest fires in Viña del Mar in the central Chilean region of Valparaísotransformed into an inferno by the flames that engulf the hills, leaving dozens of dead, evacuated areas and an enormous trail of destruction.
A dense cloud of smoke rose again over this tourist area, which was exposed to high temperatures in the middle of southern summer.
The The authorities imposed a nighttime curfew from 9:00 p.m. local time and reissued Evacuation warningsHowever, the exact number of people who had to leave their homes is still unknown.
Thousands of people walked through the smoke Saturday morning and returned to their homes destroyed by the “unprecedented fires” that are ravaging Viña del Mar, Valparaíso and other regions in central and southern Chile.
president Gabriel Boric flew over the affected area
“We will be there as a government to help them get up.”After this activity, the president limited himself to hints.
Supported by helicopters and planes, firefighters and volunteers are battling the flames in the hills in various parts of the country.
The hardest-hit areas are near the Pacific beaches, 80 and 120 km northwest of Santiago, where wine, agriculture and timber companies operate.
This season it also receives a large number of tourists.
The strong winds are driving the flames toward transportation and furniture factories. Black smoke covers the sky along several streets amid explosions that follow one after another before firefighters become helpless.
A heat wave with maximum temperatures is currently sweeping the South American Cone, where the natural climate phenomenon El Niño is being exacerbated by global warming caused by human activities, according to experts.
The Warnings of persistent oppressive heat are in effect for areas in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil, as well as in, starting this week and next chili.