"Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile have killed at least 15 people, scorched thousands of hectares of forest and destroyed scores of homes, authorities said, as the South American country swelters under a heatwave. Chile's president, Gabriel Boric, declared a state of catastrophe in the country's central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, about 500km (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital."
"Dear president Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no [government] presence, said Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of the small coastal town of Penco in the Biobio region. How can a minister do nothing but call me to tell me that the military is going to arrive at some point?"
"Firefighters were struggling to extinguish the flames, but strong winds and scorching weather hampered their efforts Sunday with temperatures topping 38C (100F). Residents said the fires took them by surprise after midnight, trapping them in their homes. Many people didn't evacuate. They stayed in their houses because they thought the fire would stop at the edge of the forest, said John Guzman, 55, surveying the scene in Penco, where smoke blanketed the sky in an orange haze."
Wildfires across central and southern Chile killed at least 15 people, scorched about 8,500 hectares and destroyed scores of homes amid an intense heatwave. President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in Biobio and Nuble regions, enabling military coordination to fight about two dozen blazes. Authorities reported 50,000 people evacuated. Local officials said federal assistance was delayed and inadequate, with municipal leaders reporting prolonged absence of on-the-ground help. Firefighters struggled against strong winds and temperatures above 38C, while many residents were trapped after midnight or remained home expecting fires to stop at forest edges. One municipality reported 253 homes lost.
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