Chile is gripped by fires amid years of drought: at least 18 dead, thousands evacuated – photos

Large-scale forest fires are raging in central and southern Chile, caused by extreme temperatures amid years of drought. At least 18 people have been killed, about 50,000 have been forced to evacuate, and hundreds of homes have been destroyed. About reports Associated Press, citing the country's authorities.

About two dozen active fires have covered about 8,500 hectares of forest. A state of emergency has been declared in the central region of Biobio and the neighboring region of Nyublé. A night curfew has been imposed in the affected areas.

According to local residents, the fires started after midnight and caught many people by surprise. Some people did not evacuate, believing that the fire would not reach residential areas.

The fires swept through hills and residential areas, destroying homes, cars, a school and a church, particularly in the coastal town of Penko. Thousands of people were forced to seek shelter in temporary emergency shelters.

Strong winds and extreme heat complicate the extinguishing operations: the temperature on January 18 exceeded 38°C. According to Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde, the weather conditions remain unfavorable.

President Gabriel Boric noted that the number of people killed and houses destroyed is likely to grow. According to him, in the Biobio region alone, the number of damaged or destroyed buildings already exceeds a thousand.

Forest fires hit central and southern Chile every summer and usually peak in February when temperatures rise. The country has been suffering from a prolonged drought for many years, which significantly increases the risk of large-scale fires.

In 2024, fires on Chile's central coast killed at least 130 people and became the country's deadliest natural disaster since the devastating 2010 earthquake.

• At the end of July 2025, Turkey and Greece covered large-scale forest fires, the authorities announced evacuations from some areas due to the threat to the population.
• on August 11, 2025, in the Spanish city of Tarifa a fire broke outwhich forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 tourists.