Interior Minister Carolina Toha He said He told a news conference late on Saturday that the country was facing its worst tragedy since the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 500 people.
Across the country, about 92 fires broke out on Saturday, and responders were able to control 40 of them. The fires have spread to at least 43,000 hectares, or more than 106,000 acres, in Toha He said Earlier today.
While the surface area is smaller than the area affected by the country's bushfires in February last year, Tuha said the fires are expected to multiply quickly. The biggest concern, she said, is that many of the fires come very close to urban areas.
Authorities are investigating suspected arson related to the fires. He added: “While it is difficult to imagine who would be willing to cause so much tragedy and so much pain, know that we will investigate.” boric He said in a televised speech.
Authorities have not yet provided details about the victims who died in the fires. The official death toll rose late Saturday after a number of bodies were found on the roads. Toha said it is expected to rise again in the coming hours.
She added: “We do not have specific numbers, but we know that thousands of families were affected” by the fire.
at least A thousand homes were damaged in the Valparaiso region, according to estimates by the Chilean disaster agency Sinapred. The hillside neighborhoods surrounding the coastal resort of Viña del Mar were among the worst affected.
The president decreed a curfew in the area to help free up roads for emergency vehicles and allow people to evacuate.
Forest fires are relatively common in Chile during the summer months. Peak fire season usually begins in early December and lasts several months.
This year, a change in the El Niño weather pattern – which causes sea temperatures near South America – has led to soaring temperatures and heat waves across the region, including in the Chilean capital, Santiago.
Last month, Colombia's government requested international assistance to fight raging forest fires.
