Chilean President Gabriel Boric has enacted a state of catastrophe across the Nuble and Biobio regions following devastating wildfires that have resulted in at least 16 fatalities. The emergency declaration, announced Sunday via the president’s official social media channel, mobilizes all available national resources to combat the escalating crisis.
According to Chile’s National Forestry Corporation, 24 active fires were burning across the country as of Sunday morning, with the most severe concentration in Nuble where nine separate blazes are raging. The most extensive fire has consumed approximately 2,200 hectares in the city of Ranquil within the Nuble region.
The scale of displacement is substantial, with National Disaster Prevention and Response Service director Alicia Cebrian reporting that approximately 30,000 residents have been evacuated from the severely impacted communities around Penco in Biobio. Comprehensive assessment of residential damage remains ongoing as emergency crews battle the spreading flames.
This tragedy evokes memories of Chile’s devastating 2024 wildfire season, when infernos swept through the central Valparaiso region claiming 138 lives and destroying tens of thousands of homes. The current emergency declaration enables military deployment and unlocks federal emergency funding to support firefighting operations and victim assistance.
Photographic evidence from affected areas shows residents surveying the charred remnants of their communities, with buildings reduced to rubble and landscapes transformed into ash-covered wastelands. The declaration of catastrophe status reflects the severity of what officials are describing as one of Chile’s most significant wildfire events in recent years.