Chile Declares State of Catastrophe as Deadly Wildfires Threaten Cities

Chile has declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions as devastating wildfires continue to spread, killing at least 16 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes.

President Gabriel Boric announced the emergency measure in the Ñuble and Biobío regions, located about 500 kilometres south of the capital Santiago. He said the decision was taken due to the seriousness of the fires and confirmed that all available national resources had been deployed to respond to the crisis.

The most dangerous fire has burned through dry forests near the coastal city of Concepción, destroying more than 250 homes. Disaster officials say at least 20,000 people have been evacuated as flames moved rapidly toward residential areas.

Television footage and images shared by local media show streets littered with burned vehicles and entire neighbourhoods reduced to ashes. The worst affected communities include the cities of Penco and Lirquén, which together are home to around 60,000 residents.

Chile’s national forestry agency Conaf reported that firefighters were battling 24 active fires across the country on Sunday. Authorities said the most serious outbreaks remained in Ñuble and Biobío.

Strong winds and high summer temperatures have intensified the fires, making containment efforts more difficult and placing more communities at risk. Large parts of Chile are currently under heat alerts, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 38 degrees Celsius between Santiago and Biobío over the coming days.

So far, the fires have scorched more than 20,000 hectares of land, according to local reports. Long term drought conditions have worsened the situation, with Chile experiencing increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in recent years.

This latest disaster follows a deadly fire outbreak two years ago in the Valparaíso region, where at least 120 people lost their lives, highlighting the growing impact of climate driven extreme weather events in the country.