Chilean officials said at 10 people had been killed after fast-moving wildfires erupted in Chile’s Valparaiso region on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, according to local media.
VALPARAÍSO, Chile – Fast-moving in Chile’s popular tourist region of Valparaíso have claimed the lives of at least 40 people, and there are concerns that the death toll may rise further.
Aerial view of the aftermath of a fire at the hills in Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024.
(JAVIER TORRES/AFP / Getty Images)
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric said Saturday that 40 people have died in the fires and another six have died at hospitals.
“I want to be very careful with this figure because, given the conditions of the tragedy, the number of victims will surely increase in the next few hours,” Boric said, according to a translation of his remarks.
Large columns of smoke could be seen Friday from different parts of the country stretching along ‘s western edge as the forest fire has destroyed more than 1,100 homes.
Saturday that responders have not yet been able to reach some affected areas. Currently, 92 forest fires are burning in the central and southern parts of the country.
View of the smoke cloud produced by the forest fires in Viña del Mar, taken on February 2, 2024.
(JAVIER TORRES/AFP / Getty Images)
Boric declared a state of emergency, as teams met Saturday to assess the situation. Firefighting and rescue efforts continue around the clock as more than 30,000 acres have burned, according to Google .
According to Boric, curfews are being used to keep the streets clear so that emergency teams can respond to the fires as quickly as possible. He said an investigation into the cause of the deadly fires will be launched. He urged residents to heed evacuation orders when they are issued.
Chile’s emergency response agency, the (SENAPRED), issued a red alert and ordered the evacuation of at least 18 towns in the area, including the municipalities of Navidad, San Pedro, San Pablo and Puerto Montt. This emergency has impacted a state-protected forest reserve where more than 15,000 acres have been burned inside the Lago Peñuelas National Reserve.
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A fire truck is seen amongst burnt houses after a fire that affected the hills in Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024. (JAVIER TORRES/AFP)
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A man is seen inside a burnt house after a fire that affected the hills in Quilpue comune, Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024. (RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP)
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View of burnt vehicles after a fire that affected the hills in Quilpue comune, Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024. (RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP)
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A man holds his dog after a fire that affected the hills in Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024. (JAVIER TORRES/AFP)
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A man cleans his house after a fire that affected the hills in Quilpue comune, Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024. (RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP)
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Aerial view of the aftermath of a fire at the hills in Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024. (JAVIER TORRES/AFP)
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Vehicles and homes burn during a fire in Viña del Mar, Chile, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (JAVIER TORRES/AFP)
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Firefighters work on extinguishing the fire that broke out in Valparaiso, Chile on Friday, Feb. 2,2024. (Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu)
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Firefighters work on extinguishing the fire that broke out in Valparaiso, Chile on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu)
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Houses burn due to a forest fire during night time in Valparaiso, Chile on Friday, Feb. 2,2024. (Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu)
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Houses burn due to a forest fire during night time in Valparaiso, Chile on Friday, Feb. 2,2024. (Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu)
According to the , 74 people were rescued from 19 homes in Puerto Montt, which suffered the most damage from the wildfire, burning nearly 1,700 acres. Three individuals sustained injuries as a result of incidents related to the wildfire.
Residents are being evacuated by the help of military personnel after a fire broke out in Valparaiso, Chile on Friday, Feb. 2,2024.
(Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu / Getty Images)
Isa Carcif shot a video on a mountain highway between Viña del Mar and Quilpué showing flames consuming large areas of vegetation.
Multiple towns were ordered to evacuate as forest fires erupted in Chile’s Valparaiso region on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Yvonne Guzman told the AFP. When the fire approached her home in Quilpué, she fled with her elderly mother but got stuck in traffic for hours.
“It’s very distressing because we’ve evacuated the house, but we can’t move forward,” she said. “There are all these people trying to get out and who can’t move.”
Fire officials have forecast high to extreme fire danger in central Chile, including already affected regions, over the next 24 hours.