At least 23 people have died from more than 200 forest fires that are burning these days in central Chile, in the regions of Araucanía, Bío Bío and Nuble. The Chilean government has declared a state of emergency in all three regions. Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said on Saturday that due to the weather conditions it is very difficult to put out and contain the fires, which are continuing to expand: in Chile it is summer and particularly high temperatures are reaching, even above 40 °C.
76 new fires started on Friday to which, according to the counts of the authorities, 16 were added on Saturday. The three regions in which they developed are not very populous, but are home to many farms and cultivated fields. More than 1,100 people have fled their homes so far.
