A preliminary report mentions a dozen deaths. Firefighters have been tirelessly battling around ten fires since February 2nd in the regions of Valparaíso and O’Higgins in the central part of the country, as well as in Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía, and Los Lagos in the south.

In the towns of Estrella and Navidad, about 200 kilometers southwest of the capital, uncontrolled fires have burned nearly thirty homes, forcing residents to flee in this area near the coastal town of Pichilemu, known for its surfing. “We have preliminary information about several deceased persons, around a dozen,” announced Sofía Gonzáles Cortés, the government representative in the Valparaiso region.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in order to “have all necessary means” to face the progression of the fires. “All forces are deployed in the fight against the forest fires,” the head of state further assured in a message posted on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

A meeting of emergency services is scheduled for Saturday morning to assess the situation. Viral images on social media, filmed by motorists trapped by the fires, show the mountains engulfed in flames at the end of the famous Route 68, a road traveled by thousands of tourists heading to the Pacific beaches.

Authorities had already suspended traffic on Friday due to “reduced visibility due to smoke.” This heatwave resulting from the El Niño climate phenomenon is currently affecting the southern cone of Latin America, during the summer season, causing forest fires aggravated by climate change.

After Chile and Colombia, the heatwave is expected to threaten Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil in the coming days.