Chile: violent fires continue to rage, at least 24 dead
A man cleans the debris from his house that went up in smoke in the fires, in Santa Juana, in the center of the country, February 5, 2023. AP - Matias Delacroix
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In Chile, violent fires have left at least 24 dead and more than 1,182 injured.
The flames have devoured three regions in the south of the country, where the heat wave and the drought are hitting hard.
This Sunday, February 5, in the afternoon, there were still 260 fires in progress and thousands of hectares already gone up in smoke.
A state of disaster has been declared throughout the area.
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With our correspondent in Santiago,
Naïla Derroisné
Fanned by moderate to strong winds and temperatures above 40°C, the fires devastated some 270,000 hectares in five days, destroying 1,081 homes.
That's what the authorities said.
On the television channels, we see huge clouds of black smoke and flames higher than the houses which are advancing at an impressive speed.
The inhabitants sometimes barely have time to collect a few belongings that they already have to evacuate the premises by running to escape the monstrous blaze.
More than 800 homes and 13 schools were destroyed, several hundred people had to be rehoused.
Ten people arrested
The Chilean government has announced the arrest of 10 people suspected of being the source of some of these fires.
As for Gabriel Boric, he cut short his vacation.
The Chilean president attended the funeral wake of a volunteer firefighter in the town of Coronel on Sunday.
He went again on Sunday to the city of Concepción, 510 km south of Santiago, and visited the ravaged areas.
“
There are indications that some of the fires were started by unauthorized fires.
It is strictly forbidden to burn rubbish or agricultural waste without permission
,” he warned.
The Chilean national forest office reports that in 99% of cases, human activity is the cause of forest fires: careless handling of fire, poor agricultural practices or arson.
A few weeks ago, a mega fire ravaged part of the town of Viña del Mar, by the sea. There, the inhabitants suspect the real estate sector of having caused fires to then gain access to land and there build.
To face these mega fires, Chile receives international aid: Spain, the United States, Mexico and several South American countries send men and in some cases equipment, helicopters and planes to lend a hand.
French President Emmanuel Macron also reacted on Twitter, saying that "
the Chilean people can count on the support of France to fight against this scourge
".
Thank you my friend!
I know I can count on your support.
https://t.co/gALx3hUUS5
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) February 6, 2023
►Also read: Chile: violent forest fires kill at least 16 people in the center of the country
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Chile
Environment
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