Chile blazes death toll increased to 23
2023.02.05 06:35
Chile blazes death toll increased to 23
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – On Saturday, the government of Chile issued an emergency order to another region due to dozens of wildfires burning throughout the country. The fires, which have killed at least 23 people thus far, are being hampered by a scorching summer heat wave.
According to an official briefing later on Saturday, more than 1,100 people have sought shelter, and the raging fires have injured at least 979 people.
Araucania’s southern region is included in the most recent emergency order, along with the previously declared Biobio and Nuble regions, which are close to the middle of the long Pacific coast of the South American nation.
At a press conference in Santiago, the capital, Interior Minister Carolina Toha stated to reporters, “Weather conditions have made it very difficult to put out (the fires) that are spreading and the emergency is getting worse.”
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She went on to say, “We need to reverse that curve,” noting that 76 more fires had started on Friday.
Officials said that 16 more fires started on Saturday as the summer temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere topped 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).
Numerous farms, including those where grapes, apples, and berries are grown for export, as well as extensive tracts of forest land, are located in the three sparsely populated regions covered by the emergency orders.
Spain, the United States, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, and Venezuela have offered assistance, including planes and firefighters, officials told reporters on Saturday.
Officials say that on Friday, an emergency-support helicopter in La Araucania went down, killing the pilot and a mechanic.
The town of Santa Juana in Biobio, which is approximately 310 miles (500 kilometers) south of Santiago, was where authorities reported that 11 of the victims, or nearly half of the fatalities that have been reported thus far, died.
Helicopters have been dropping fire retardant over raging fires since late last week, obstructing roads with billowing smoke. In front of a hazy orange-tinted sky, both firefighters and locals are battling to contain the flames.
In order to deal with the natural disaster, the orders permit the deployment of soldiers and additional resources.
According to official data released late on Friday, the fires have destroyed approximately 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres), which is larger than the city of Philadelphia in the United States.
On Saturday, the national forestry agency CONAF reported that 151 of the 231 wildfires are under control and 80 are being actively fought.
Over 90% of the wildfires, according to officials, have been contained before they reach 12 acres (5 hectares).
However, the only option for those unfortunate enough to become involved in one of the uncontrolled wildfires was immediate evacuation.
Carolina Torres said, “I left with what I had on,” as she fled an approaching fire near the city of Puren in the Araucania region.
“Because the winds changed and you just had to grab everything right away,” “I think everyone here did the same thing.”
President Gabriel Boric traveled to Nuble and Biobio on Friday, interrupting his summer break to promise to provide all necessary assistance to the affected areas.
Boric also mentioned “signs” that some fires might have been started deliberately, but he didn’t go into detail.
