Chile: Wild Fires - Dec 2022

In the afternoon of 22 December, a fire started in native forest areas in the upper part of the city of Viña del Mar (Valparaíso Region), 120 km from Santiago, Chile. On 25 December, the fire was brought under control and a yellow alert was declared for Viña del Mar. The national state maintains the state of emergency because there are still forestry fighters working in the area and the fires have caused great structural damage. So far, a total of 2,455 people (491 families) have been affected, 371 houses were completely destroyed, 312 people were injured and 2 people died. The affected families have lost the entire structure of their homes but also basic subsistence items and animals. (IFRC, 10 Jan 2023)

Since the first week of February, strong winds and high temperatures fuelled by heat wave have sparked dozens of wildfires across central Chile. A state of emergency has been declared in Araucanía, Biobío and Ñuble, the most affected areas. According to Chile's disaster mitigation agency, some 286,299 ha have been burned until now by the fires. At least 23 people have died in connection to the fires, while 979 have been reported injured. Hundreds of homes have reportedly been damaged or destroyed and more than 1,500 people have sought refuge in shelters. On 5 February, Chile activated Union Civil Protection Mechanism, UCPM requesting international assistance. DG ECHO is following closely the situation and exploring possible ways to assist the Chilean authorities. The Copernicus Emergency Management System was activated in rapid mapping mode (EMSR647) on 6 February to provide a damage assessment of the affected areas. (ECHO, 6 Feb 2023)

Several wildfires continue to burn across central and southern Chile, causing casualties and widespread damage. The worst affected regions are Bío Bío, Araucanía, Ñuble, Maule, Los Ríos, Los Lagos, Aysén, O’Higgins, Valparaíso, and Santiago Metropolitan. As of 7 February, according to the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention (SENAPRED), there were 17 active wildfires across the aforementioned regions. The total affected area since the beginning of the events is approximately 294,000 ha. SENAPRED reports, as of the same date, 24 fatalities in Bío Bío, Araucaníaand and Ñuble and also reports nearly 900 evacuated people, 1,145 destroyed houses and a total of more than 5,500 affected people across these three regions and Maule. A red alert for wildfire activity is still in effect over Bío Bío, Araucanía, Ñuble, Maule, Los Ríos and Los Lagos. Over the next 24 hours, according to the JRC Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), the fire danger forecast is from high to extreme over central Chile and from moderate to high over central-southern Chile. (ECHO, 8 Feb 2023)

Wildfires continue to affect central Chile, particularly the regions of Bío Bío, Ñuble, Maule, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Los Lagos. According to the Chilean National Office of Emergency (SINAPRED), the number of fatalities has increased to 25 people, 3,034 individuals sustained injuries. As of 15 February, there are 324 people in public shelters and more than 7,040 persons have been affected by wildfires, which destroyed 1,504 houses and damaged more than 900. The number of burned areas since January 2023 across Chile has reached more than 432,170 ha. Following Chile's request for assistance from the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) so far three countries offered assistance and over 250 emergency responders had been deployed to Chile through the UCPM, alongside with a Liaison Officer from the EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre's and an EU Civil Protection Team. On 16-18 February, the fire danger forecast is mostly extreme over central Chile, specifically from Region Metropolitana to Rios, according to the JRC Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS). (ECHO, 16 Feb 2023)

Active fires are still burning across the Regions of Bíobío, Ñuble, Maule, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Magallanes (central Chile). As of 1 March, more than 442,000 ha of land has been affected by fires according to the latest report of SENAPRED. The same source records 26 fatalities (17 in Bíobío, eight in La Araucanía and one in Ñuble), 233 sheltered people, more than 7,500 affected and almost 4,000 damaged or destroyed houses across the Regions of Santiago, O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos and Los Lagos. (ECHO, 3 Mar 2023)