Dozens of wildfires blazing through Chile caused the federal government to increase an emergency order to a different region on Saturday, as a scorching summer heat wave complicates efforts to manage fires which have claimed no less than 23 lives up to now.
Greater than 1,100 people have sought refuge in shelters while no less than 979 people have been reported injured by the raging fires, in response to an official briefing afterward Saturday.
The newest emergency order covers the southern region of Araucania, next to the previously declared Biobio and Nuble regions, positioned near the center of the South American country’s long Pacific coastline.
“Weather conditions have made it very difficult to place out (the fires) which might be spreading and the emergency is getting worse,” Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters at a news conference within the capital Santiago.
“We’d like to reverse that curve,” she added, noting that on Friday 76 more fires had ignited.
One other 16 fires sparked to life on Saturday, in response to officials, as local temperatures within the Southern Hemisphere summer exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sparsely populated three regions covered by the emergency orders are home to many farms, including where grapes, apples and berries are grown for export, plus extensive tracts of forest land.
Officials told reporters on Saturday that the governments of Spain, america, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela have offered help, including planes and firefighters.
On Friday, an emergency-support helicopter in La Araucania crashed, killing its pilot and a mechanic, in response to officials.
Authorities reported that 11 of the victims, or nearly half of the casualties reported up to now, died within the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, positioned some 310 miles south of Santiago.
Since late last week, helicopters have dropped fire retardant over raging fires as billowing clouds of smoke obstruct roadways. Firefighters and native residents alike are struggling to contain the flames against the backdrop of a hazy orange-tinted sky.
The orders allow for the deployment of soldiers and extra resources to cope with the natural disaster.
Some 99,000 acres have been burnt by the fires, in response to official data released late on Friday, an area larger than the U.S. city of Philadelphia.
National forestry agency CONAF reported on Saturday that 80 of 231 total wildfires are being actively battled, while 151 of them are under control.
Officials said that over 90% of the wildfires have been smothered before they spread beyond 12 acres.
But for those unlucky enough to get caught up in one in all the uncontrolled wildfires, immediate evacuation was the one option.
“I left with what I had on,” said Carolina Torres, who fled from an approaching fire near the town of Puren, within the region of Araucania.
“I feel everyone here did the identical thing since the winds shifted and you only needed to grab the whole lot instantly.”
On Friday, President Gabriel Boric cut short his summer vacation and traveled to Nuble and Biobio, pledging to be sure the affected areas receive all essential support.
Boric also pointed to “signs” that some fires could have been began intentionally, but didn’t provide any additional details.