MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile wildfires kill at least 18; Boric orders curfew and declares state of catastrophe

Photo: EFE/Pablo Hidalgo

Wildfires sweeping through south-central Chile have killed at least 18 people—later updated by government reports to 19—and forced the evacuation of more than 50,000 residents in the Ñuble and Biobío regions amid extreme heat and strong winds.

President Gabriel Boric declared a “state of catastrophe” and announced a nighttime curfew in the worst-hit areas as emergency teams battled to contain multiple fire fronts. “We have 18 confirmed deaths, but that number will increase,” Boric said in remarks carried by local outlets; subsequent updates raised the death toll to 19.

Authorities said firefighters and forest brigades were confronting several major blazes in the affected regions, part of a broader national emergency with more than 20 active wildfires reported across the country.

Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde said the situation remained difficult. “We are facing a complex scenario,” he stated, pointing to forecasts of extreme temperatures and winds that could accelerate the spread. Senapred director Alicia Cebrián also warned: “Today and tomorrow we will have extreme temperatures… It’s a complex scenario.”

Reuters and AP reported extensive damage, including hundreds of homes destroyed and thousands of hectares burned, as mass evacuations expanded through Chile’s emergency alert system and shelters were opened for displaced families.

The crisis echoes Chile’s deadly 2024 wildfire disaster in the Valparaíso region near Viña del Mar, which killed more than 130 people, according to figures cited by international news agencies.