By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Fires in south-central Chile have killed at least seven people and destroyed some 14,000 hectares, officials said on Friday, after extending a state of catastrophe declaration for the two regions hardest hit by the fire while the region faces a heat wave.
The first four victims were registered in the city of Santa Juana, in the region of Biobío, about 500 kilometers south of Santiago, which, together with the neighboring region of Ñuble, are the most affected by the fire, said Interior Minister Carolina Toha.
In the afternoon, local authorities and firefighters confirmed the death of a firefighter working in Santa Juana, while the Ministry of Agriculture lamented a helicopter crash on Twitter that caused the death of the pilot and a mechanic who were fighting the fires in the southern region of La Araucania.
In a press conference, Tohá also informed that the government will reinforce the ground equipment and the fleet of 63 aircraft currently available to fight the fires, and that the country is waiting for a response from companies in Brazil and Argentina to supply more aircraft, and that a contract was signed for the arrival on Monday of a Ten Tanker plane, with capacity for 36,000 liters of water.
“The conditions in the next few days are going to be very risky,” said Tohá, noting that as of Friday afternoon there were 39 fires being fought concentrated in the regions of Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía.
Earlier, Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve told journalists in Ñuble after a local coordination meeting that the fire had already consumed about 14,000 hectares.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who was away from office on a summer vacation in the south, suspended his rest and arrived in the affected area in the afternoon.
“My role as President of the Republic today is to ensure that all resources are available for the emergency and for people to feel that they will not be alone,” said Boric from the Biobío region, adding that there are “signs” that some accidents have occurred due to to unauthorized burning.
The fires left hundreds of homes damaged, while a network of shelters was put in place to accommodate families. There are traffic cuts on routes and highways due to the fire and several municipalities in the region have been vacated.
The two regions affected by the catastrophe, with intense agricultural and forestry activity, have a population of almost two million inhabitants and are located 400 kilometers south of Santiago. Together they add up to 37,000 square kilometers of surface.
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