Santiago, The Indonesia Post – At least 23 people died as a result of widespread forest fires in Chile, while the country’s government extended the emergency alert status to other areas on Saturday (4/2).
The widespread fire was also reported to have left at least 979 people injured and more than 1,100 people taking shelter in shelters, according to an official statement on Saturday.
The latest emergency alert status covers the area south of La Araucania, next to the Biobio and Nuble regions, which were previously placed on emergency alert.
La Araucania is located near the midpoint of the South American country’s Pacific coastline.
“Weather conditions have made it difficult to contain the (fire) spread and the emergency situation is deteriorating,” Interior Secretary Carolina Toha told reporters at a news conference in Chile’s capital, Santiago.
“We need to turn this around,” she continued.
Carolina also reminded that on Friday (3/2) there were 76 new hotspots.
Another 16 fires appeared on Saturday, according to officials, when local temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
The three sparsely populated areas, which are currently under emergency status, contain large areas of plantations, including grapes, apples and berries – which are grown for export – as well as large areas of forest.
Officials told reporters on Saturday that the governments of Spain, the United States, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela had offered assistance, including in the form of planes and firefighting.
Authorities reported that 11 of the victims, or about half of the fatalities currently recorded, died in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, 310 miles (500 kilometers) south of Santiago.
Since last weekend, helicopters have been dropping flame retardants on the blaze amid a plume of smoke blocking the highway.
Firefighters and local residents also struggled to quell the blaze with a view of the smoky orange sky.
The establishment of an emergency status allows additional troops and resources to be mobilized to deal with this natural disaster.
Around 40,000 hectares of land have been burned by the fires, based on government data released on Friday (3/2).
The national forestry agency CONAF reported on Saturday that 80 of the total 231 hotspots were being extinguished, while 151 others had been controlled.
Officials say 90 percent of the forest fires were extinguished before they could spread more than five hectares.
For residents trapped in uncontrolled forest fires, immediate evacuation is the only option.
“I left with only what I was wearing,” said Carolina Torres, who was evacuated from the blaze that was approaching the town of Puren in the Araucania region.
“I think everyone else is doing the same because the winds change and we have to jump at whatever it takes,” she continued.
On Friday, President Gabriel Boric cut short his vacation. He visited Nuble and Biobio and vowed that the affected areas would receive all the assistance they needed. (mhn/bbs)
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