Fires in Chile destroy entire settlements and animals
2023.02.09 00:52
Fires in Chile destroy entire settlements and animals
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – After burning for an entire night across south-central Chile, the blazes, which have killed 24 people and destroyed hundreds of homes, expanded on Wednesday and destroyed the homes of endangered woodland animals.
Valentina Aravena, manager of a Chillan wildlife rehabilitation center, stated, “We call on everyone who can to take care of the forests that are currently on fire, as well as of our animals, specimens of vital importance.”
On Wednesday, the CONAF, Chile’s national forest association, reported that the affected area had grown to over 300,000 hectares (741,315 acres), which is nearly twice the size of Greater London.
The majority of the deaths and damage occurred in the south-central Biobio, Araucania, and uble regions, according to authorities, with approximately 2,180 injured and 1,180 destroyed homes.
Carolina Toha, Interior Minister, made the announcement late on Wednesday that the government would establish a curfew on Thursday in some provinces. She had previously urged service providers to make water tanks available and warned that there would be a shortage.
Animals like the monito del monte, a small nocturnal marsupial, and the pudus, the world’s smallest deer, were treated for burns in the rehabilitation center in Chillan, the capital of the uble region.
Aravena claimed that these essential species assisted in seed dispersal.
She stated, “We try to stabilize them, treat them, relieve them of their pain from their burns, and ideally rehabilitate them so they can return to the wild.”
Enrique Narvaez, a local, spent the night watching firefighters at work in the vicinity of Quillon.
He stated, “My house, all the trees, everything was destroyed by the wildfire in 2011.” I don’t want to experience the same thing again.”
Gabriel Boric, the president of Chile, thanked his Brazilian counterpart for his assistance of $672,000 and announced that he would be sending an air force jet containing personnel, experts, and firefighting equipment. Mexico, Colombia, and Spain are also assisting.
Chilean manufacturer of pulp and wood panels, Arauco [RIC: RIC: ANTCOC.UL], the Empresas Copec (COPEC.SN) forestry division, stated that 40,000 hectares (98,842 acres) of its plantations could be affected, though the extent of that potential impact was still unknown.
A Chilean minister had warned a day earlier that the expected high temperatures for this week could make things even more complicated.
