Santiago de Chile, Feb 3 (EFE). – The devastating fire that broke out on Friday in the densely populated hills surrounding the city of Viña del Mar, 120 kilometers (74 miles) from Santiago de Chile, is advancing relentlessly and has already reached industrial sectors.
Several explosions have been recorded in chemical warehouses, paint factories, and other warehouses.
The authorities ordered massive evacuations in several neighborhoods and the smoke spread to the beach of the so-called “Garden City”, one of the most touristic in Chile, which attracts thousands of vacationers every summer.
“It is one of the biggest fires in the history of the city,” acknowledged the mayor of Viña del Mar, Macarena Ripamonte.
On its X account, the Viña del Mar Fire Department posted a video of a loud explosion in a gas tank, while local channels showed images of various paint and chemical factories in flames, creating a toxic black cloud.
The unusually high temperatures not only in Viña del Mar but also in the rest of the Valparaíso region (close to 38°C or 100°F), along with strong gusts of wind and low humidity, are making it difficult to control the fire.
In addition to the fire advancing toward the center of Viña del Mar, there are other places in the Valparaíso region that have been affected by the fire, such as Quilpué, where a hospital had to be evacuated due to the proximity of the flames.
“Everything indicates that there is a degree of intentionality when four simultaneous outbreaks occur within 400 meters of each other,” said the regional governor, Rodrigo Mundaca.
Authorities confirmed the deaths of at least 19 people in the region Saturday morning and warned that the toll could rise in the coming hours as security teams gain access to the devastated areas.
To facilitate rescue and firefighting efforts and to clear evacuation routes, the Chilean government ordered a 12-hour curfew beginning at 9 pm local time in the unevacuated sectors of the affected towns.
The Committee for Risk and Disaster Management (COGRID), which is responsible for making the most important decisions in emergency situations, will meet at 7:00 pm local time and update the dimension of the tragedy.
In 2023, Chile experienced the deadliest wave of fires in its history, killing 27 people and destroying thousands of homes in the central-southern regions of the country, such as La Araucanía, Biobío, and Ñuble.
Although Chile had one of the wettest winters in the last 15 years, specialists have been warning for months that the drought is not over and that there is a high probability that thin, dead, and highly flammable vegetation will develop in the central-southern zone. EFE
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