Chile sees improved wildfires outlook

Chile’s wildfire emergency, which has left 24 people dead and destroyed vast tracts of forest, is beginning to ease, authorities said Saturday.

The deadly fires in Chile’s center-south have ravaged more than 440,000 hectares (1.1 million acres), but are becoming less of a threat. 

“We have 12 new fires, and at some point in this crisis we had 86 new fires in a single day. That means that we are in a better situation,” said Interior Minister Carolina Toha. 

The largest fires, however, likely cannot be put out until the end of February, she said. 

The latest count shows 312 blazes still active, 98 of which are being fought.

Since February 3, fires have claimed at least 24 lives and left 2,674 people injured in the regions of Maule, Nuble, Biobio and La Araucania. 

A spokesperson for the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf) told AFP that fires are currently affecting mainly fields and forests, with residential areas less impacted. 

“There are communities that are still in danger, but the risk… is decreasing,” said Rolando Pardo, head of Forest Fire Prevention at Conaf. 

He said that during the first four days of the crisis, about 80 emergency alerts were received daily, but that has since decreased to around three a day. 

Weather is expected to help improve the situation. The Chilean Meteorological Directorate announced Thursday that the temperature in the central zone could drop to between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius (81 to 84 Fahrenheit). 

On Tuesday, 80 new brigade members will arrive from France, joining others from 11 countries, including Argentina, Spain, Mexico and the United States.