Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of emergency in two southern regions after fierce wildfires forced around 20,000 residents to flee their homes.
Firefighters are battling 19 blazes nationwide, with 12 concentrated in the southern regions of Ñuble and Biobío, south of the capital, Santiago. In a statement posted on X on Sunday, President Boric said the government had declared a state of natural disaster in the affected regions, adding that all available resources had been mobilised.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether the fires have caused any deaths or the number of homes destroyed. However, the Director of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response, Alicia Cebrián, told local media that approximately 20,000 people had been evacuated.
She said most of the evacuations occurred in the Biobío cities of Penco and Lirquén, which together have a population of about 60,000. Television footage showed intense flames sweeping through neighbourhoods, with burnt-out vehicles lining the streets.
Wildfires have repeatedly devastated south-central Chile in recent years. In February 2024, multiple fires broke out near the coastal city of Viña del Mar, northwest of Santiago, killing 138 people, according to prosecutors. Authorities said those fires affected about 16,000 residents.