19 dead and 50,000 evacuated as wildfires spread through south-central Chile

At least 19 people have been confirmed dead by the Chilean government as wildfires, that started on Saturday, spread through the south-central region of the country, devastating the Ñuble and Biobío regions.  Chilean president Gabriel Boric admitted that the number of victims is “likely to rise,” although he pointed out things on Sunday night went “better than expected.” However, Boric warned that “weather conditions are not good, so it is possible that fires could reignite” on Monday. So far, over 50,000 people have been evacuated from fire-affected areas. The fires quickly got out of control on Saturday afternoon, as high temperatures and strong winds set off multiple outbreaks in the areas of Lirquén, Penco, Tomé, Talcahuano and Quillón. The fires have ravaged heavily populated areas in Ñuble and Biobío, some 500 kilometers south of the Chilean capital, Santiago.  Interior Minister Álvaro Elizalde said the country is “facing a complex scenario,” with over 3700 firefighters working in the area. Boric travelled to the nearby city of Concepción to lead the firefighting operations, and has decreed a state of emergency in the area. On Sunday, Biobío National Forestry Corporation director Esteban Krause admitted weather conditions made it “very difficult” to manage the fires, which he admitted were “completely out of control.” Chilean president elect José Antonio Kast, set to assume the presidency on March 11, called “all Chileans to be solidary” in the face of the fires, but also said the crisis cannot “make us forget all the emergencies that are currently affecting our nation.”