US EditionChile wildfires leave 19 dead amid extreme heat as scores evacuated
A heat wave, strong winds, and drought fueled wildfires that displaced 50,000 people and destroyed over 1,400 homes, officials reported amid emergency military deployment.
- On January 18, 2026, Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the Biobío and Ñuble regions as fires destroyed much of Lirquén and parts of Penco, killing 18 in Biobío and one in Ñuble.
- Much of Chile was under extreme heat alerts as temperatures topped 38 C from Santiago to Biobío, with Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde warning of extreme temperatures and citing yearslong drought and strong winds.
- Authorities say the blazes have consumed 8,500 hectares, with at least 325 homes confirmed destroyed and damage assessments underway for over 1,100 homes, as of Sunday.
- Senapred reported nearly 20,000 evacuated and more than 630 sheltering in nine shelters, while President Gabriel Boric wrote `All resources are available` as military coordination expands.
- Since the beginning of the year, Chile and Argentina have experienced extreme heat, with south-central Chile facing 2024 fires that killed at least 130 people and Argentina hit by devastating Patagonia blazes earlier this month.
425 Articles
425 Articles
Idaho Press
Chile fights wildfires that killed 19 and forced massive evacuations
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Firefighters in Chile are battling forest fires Monday that have killed at least 19 people and forced 50,000 to evacuate their homes as they swept through thousands of acres in the center and south of the…
Chilean Wildfire Kills 18, Thousands Evacuated
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent SANTIAGO (Worthy News) – Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in the country’s central and southern regions after raging wildfires killed at least 18 people, forced mass evacuations, and reportedly destroyed at least one church and hundreds of homes. The emergency applies to the Biobío Region and neighboring Ñuble Region, about 500 kilometers (300 mile…
Chilean President Gabriel Boric did not even have time to declare the state of natural calamity, ordering the evacuation of 20 thousand people who the fires in the two regions of the south of the country raised this number to at least 50,000, while the dead are at least 19. The emergency state was arranged in the provinces of Nuble and Biobìo, located about 500 km away from the capital Santiago of Chile. The flames as you learn from local source…
Wildfires Push Chile Into Emergency Rule As Flames Reach Southern Cities
Key Points A state of catastrophe and a nighttime curfew expanded powers as fires neared Greater Concepción. Around 20,000 people were evacuated, with more than 20 fires burning and thousands of hectares lost. The crisis shows how wildfires can spill into housing, logistics, and public order. Chile’s government activated emergency powers in the south after […]
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