At least 19 people have been killed and more than 50,000 displaced as uncontrolled wildfires swept through southern Chile’s Ñuble and Biobío regions, about 500 kilometers south of Santiago. Fueled by strong winds and high temperatures, the fires have destroyed homes, vehicles, and infrastructure over two days, leaving towns like Penco and Lirquén in ruins. Most of the deaths occurred in Penco, while residents in Lirquén described flames spreading within seconds.

President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in the affected regions, enabling the deployment of armed forces to assist nearly 4,000 firefighters battling the blazes. He visited Concepción to oversee firefighting efforts and imposed a nighttime curfew in the hardest-hit areas, calling the situation extremely difficult. The national disaster agency reported that most evacuations took place in Penco and Lirquén, home to about 60,000 people.

Officials warned that weather conditions remain unfavorable, with high temperatures and strong winds complicating containment efforts. The report noted that climate change has intensified wildfire risks in central and southern Chile in recent years.