In the night between Friday and Saturday the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, he has declared the national state of emergency to respond to a series of large forest fires affecting the central area of the country. According to estimates presented by local authorities, at least 10 people would have died, but Interior Minister Carolina Tohá he said that for now the number of victims has not been confirmed.
The fires started on Friday and are affecting areas around the coastal cities of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, about 120 kilometers west of the capital Santiago. The situation is further complicated by strong gusts of wind, up to 50 kilometers per hour, which facilitate the spread of the flames. Dozens of houses were destroyed, and some portions of territory were evacuated.
We have decided to advance COGRID to 1230 am. The situation of forest fires, especially in the 5th region, is very difficult due to the temperatures and winds, but know that we are with the Government, Firefighters, CONAF, Carabineros and civil society deployed to the maximum of…
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) February 3, 2024
Chile is located in the southern hemisphere, where it is now summer: the fires were caused by an anomalous heat wave and drought. Climate events are also influenced by El Niño, the set of atmospheric phenomena that occurs periodically in the Pacific Ocean and influences the climate of a large part of the planet, leading among other things to an increase in the average global temperature.
Also in February last year there were extensive fires in Chile, which left more than 20 people dead.