Name: Chile forest fire death toll rises to 20 as emergency declared
Uploaded: 2026-01-20T08:26:09.149Z
Duration: 3 min 39 s
Description: Wildfires wipe out entire towns in Chile as firefighters are warning of much worse to come. Tens of thousands of others have been forced from their homes.

Wildfires wipe out entire towns in Chile as firefighters are warning of much worse to come. Tens of thousands of others have been forced from their homes.

Santiago

Wildfires in the Bío Bío region of south-central Chile have resulted in at least 20 fatalities and the destruction of more than 6,000 homes. The fires, fueled by high winds, extreme heat, and dry conditions, have forced about half the population of affected towns to evacuate, while some residents remain to protect their property.

Authorities have declared an emergency and issued additional evacuation orders as uncontrolled fires continue to spread. Firefighters are searching for victims and working to prevent further destruction, while local officials coordinate aid and veterinary assistance for injured pets. The situation remains critical as weather conditions threaten to reignite the flames.

Chile forest fire death toll rises to 20 as emergency declared

I'm in Chaimabila, this is a town in the Bío Bío region in south-central Chile, population 1,000, where as you can see there is a wildfire blazing just behind in the hill above us. And this is a very populated area, about half of the population has already left, but others refuse to leave, they say they want to stay here and try to battle the flames and save their property. And this has been happening here now for the last three or four days, at least 19 people have already lost their lives in these wildfires that are causing massive destruction here in Bío Bío. These are the remains of an inferno, more than 6,000 homes engulfed in flames that started with just a spark. It happened in a fraction of a second, people barely got away with their lives in this area, but there are many others that didn't survive. The fire came from the forests that you see just right in front of me here, they're still smoldering, you can't really walk along there because it's burning hot underneath. And the wind, the very, very high heat and the dry conditions in the South American summer, particularly here in Chile, made this a powder keg. Fernando Parra lived here in South Central Bío Bío with seven other members of his family. Impotence, that's what I feel, seeing that your family, your roots, your house are going up in flames and you can't do anything about it. Natural disasters are no stranger to this country, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and deadly wildfires. Why did you stay here if there are always forest fires in this area? Because we had faith that even though we've seen 15 wildfires before, they never came near our house. Firefighters continue looking for more victims. The search for bodies difficult, but urgent. You can see that there's one person here sleeping, he's resting in the tent, taking turns with another man. They say so that people don't come to steal anything, but there really isn't anything left to steal. And you can see just how hot it was when the fire took place, because even these bottles, these glass bottles, they melted. Local authorities are organizing the distribution of clothes and food, as well as roving veterinary clinics to help pets, most suffering from burns to their faces and paws. But the danger is far from over. Where there's smoke, there is still fire. And all it will take is for the winds to pick up again, which they will because we're only about three kilometers from the Pacific Ocean. And if those flames start again, because there's plenty of trees combustion just behind me here, then that fire and the sparks can go straight into the areas that still haven't been burnt yet. A short while later, authorities issue four new evacuation orders, as new wildfires, out of control, begin engulfing everything in their path. Here you can see that there are some firefighters trying to help the owner. He's been trying to wet the roof and the area around here to make it moist. He thinks that that may help to combat the flames. It's not certain if they will reach this area or if the firefighters will be able to somehow hold it at bay, but it is going to be a very, very long night. Lucia Newman, Al Jazeera, Bio Bio Chile.

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