Due to the seriousness of the situation, the President of Chile, Gabriel Borić, declared a state of disaster in the most threatened areas.
A state of emergency has been imposed in the regions of Njuble and Bio Bio, which are located about 500 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago. Fires in these areas are still active, and authorities warn that the situation is changing rapidly due to unfavorable weather conditions.
According to data from the Chilean forestry agency CONAF, fire crews are currently battling a total of 24 active fires across the country. The most severely affected areas were precisely Njuble and Bio Bio, where the fire engulfed around 8,500 hectares of land and threatened numerous local communities.
The Chilean emergency agency Senapred announced that almost 20,000 people have been evacuated so far, while at least 250 houses have been completely destroyed. Due to the imminent danger, urgent orders were issued for the evacuation of the population.
President Borić said that all state resources were made available to fight the fire, stressing that the priority will be the protection of human life and property.
The situation is further aggravated by strong winds and extremely high temperatures, which contribute to the rapid spread of the fire.
Much of Chile is currently under a heat wave warning, with temperatures expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius in the coming days, from the Santiago area to the Bio Bio region.
Extreme weather conditions do not only affect Chile. Neighboring Argentina is also experiencing strong heat waves, and earlier this month large forest fires also broke out in Patagonia.
(Vijesti.ba)
