A Chilean court has ordered pretrial detention for a 39-year-old man allegedly responsible for igniting one of the catastrophic wildfires currently devastating central and southern Chile. The Guarantee Court of Concepción in Bio Bio region approved the prosecution’s request to detain the suspect until January 26th while investigations continue into the deadly blazes that have claimed at least 21 lives.
The suspect, arrested Thursday night, stands accused of sparking the Trinitarias fire—the initial and largest among approximately fifteen uncontrolled wildfires that have raged since Sunday. Prosecution evidence indicates the disaster began when the man operated a malfunctioning wood-burning stove, sending embers into the surrounding forests of Bio Bio region, approximately 500 kilometers south of Santiago.
Prosecutor Jorge Lorca presented compelling evidence including aerial reconnaissance footage and video documentation from a forestry company that allegedly connects the suspect to the fire’s origin. The Trinitarias fire subsequently merged with two additional blazes, creating a massive wall of flames that has consumed over 45,000 hectares (176 square miles) of land.
The human toll continues to mount with 305 reported injuries, nearly 700 residents displaced to shelters, and over 2,300 homes destroyed. The towns of Penco and Lirquen have suffered particularly devastating losses, with search operations ongoing for additional victims in the Lirquen area.
This wildfire event now surpasses the scale of Chile’s recent Valparaiso and Viña del Mar tragedy in total burned area, though the earlier fire resulted in higher fatalities. The current megafires continue to actively burn across multiple regions including Ñuble and La Araucania alongside the devastated Bio Bio zone.