'Only the walls were left of my house': the stories of those affected by fires in Chile

Like hell worse than war. This is how one of the thousands of victims left by the forest fires in the Valparaíso region (central Chile), where more than 120 people have lost their lives, in less than 48 hours, and hundreds more have been missing since last Friday.

“What we are experiencing these days is the biggest tragedy since February 27, 2010 (when an earthquake and tsunami occurred). I say this so that we can measure the magnitude of these fires and their effects on thousands of families. Know that the Government, the State and the solidarity of Chileans are with you,” President Gabriel Boric said this Monday.

And the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Chile 14 years ago, leaving more than 500 dead, have become the benchmarks for what is a large-scale tragedy in this country, where The fires have consumed 29,000 hectares, including the iconic Botanical Garden of Viña del Mar, which was completely burned, as well as large, densely populated areas.

“There are many people dead. There are many people who lost everything and it is dramatic. At this moment, there are no political colors, there are no personal agendas, there simply has to be genuine affection for this to go well from all sides and make ourselves available to work for this emergency. I ask you, please, there is a lot of pain in Viña del Mar right now,” said the mayor of the so-called Garden City, Macarena Ripamonti.

(Read also: The factors that would be behind the high lethality of fires in Chile)

The consternation of the Chilean authorities is mixed with the sadness of those who lost everything. Catalina Morales, a resident of Quilpué, one of the areas most affected by the fires in Valparaíso, saw the house in which she lived reduced to ashesand in which most of their pets died.

“My dogs had never left the house, so since there was no one there, my neighbor opened the door for them but they didn't come out, because they weren't used to going out, so they were locked in and died. They managed to save the kitten and passed it to me. I took him to a veterinary clinic and he is still hospitalized,” he tells EL TIEMPO from the ruins of what, until last Friday, was his home.

(You may be interested in: Chile: two people arrested in Viña del Mar for alleged responsibility in fires)

Morales described to this newspaper the anguish of trying to get home in the middle of the evacuation orders given by authorities to prevent people from approaching the flames to rescue their loved ones.

In fact, many of those who returned are now part of the death tolland others, like her, only have the memory of the place where they lived for decades.

“I have been living here for 26 years and I have the best memories. My daughters grew up here, it is a quiet area where neighbors take care of each other. But I only had the cement structure left of my house, only the walls,” she points out.

(Also: Forest fires in Chile: a drone records the destruction left by the flames)

A repetitive tragedy

Although the forest fires that Chile is currently facing are the worst in its history and have left the highest number of fatalities, They are not a phenomenon foreign to the summer season in this country. In fact, last season it left losses of more than 1.3 billion dollars.

“The magnitude of these climate impacts makes it essential that the country addresses them with many more resources, actions and measures. Forest fires are currently the most palpable and devastating phenomenon of the climate crisis in Chile, for this reason, it is no longer just an environmental concern, but is even an issue of national security,” says Rodrigo Catalán, director of Conservation of WWF Chile.

Added to this is the fact that Chile is a country prone to catastrophes resulting from climate change. It is estimated that the country lost at least one percent of its GDP in 2023 due to damage associated with this phenomenon.

(You can read: Bus driver crosses ravenous fire and saves passengers in Chile: 'I felt very scared')

“Chile is a territory geographically exposed to more than one catastrophic event. Both in winter and in summer we see rising sea levels, we have been talking about landslides, we have been talking about floods, we have an exclusive propensity as a nation to develop volcanic activity; Therefore, it must also be communicated well so that the population is well informed so that they can make correct decisions,” Luis Salamanca, risk prevention and environmental engineer, assures EL TIEMPO.

For experts, it is also necessary to strengthen the institutions and approve laws to prevent and confront these emergencies, such as those that point to aspects such as land use after the accidents and real estate interest in these areas, since One of the main hypotheses is that these are arson fires, so an investigation is being carried out into the interests of those who started the flames.

(Keep reading: Nicolás Maduro expresses solidarity with Chile for the fires and offers Venezuela's help)

“The Investigative Police and the Public Ministry are working to clarify the causes of this (…). In the origins there are indications, as far as we know, a pattern of behavior that indicates that “There was planning, something orchestrated and organized,” assured the head of the National Defense of Chile, Daniel Muñoz.

The authorities confirmed that curfews will continue in the most affected areas, especially at night, and that the Basic Emergency File will come into operation to access information on damage to homes to provide immediate help.

“In the previous months we have prepared and increased the resources available to confront this type of emergency with full force. It is time to redouble our efforts, joint work and support for the affected families,” said the Minister of the Interior of Chile, Carolina Tohá.

At the moment, There are at least 10 red alerts in force and concern is already spreading over other outbreaks of fires that have begun to brew in the south of the country, Therefore, the Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, announced emergency bonuses ranging between 3 and 4 million pesos, which will be delivered to the families who resided in the more than 15,000 homes that were affected by the worst fires that have been experienced in Chilean territory in recent decades.

ANDREA AGUILAR CÓRDOBA
TIME CORRESPONDENT
SANTIAGO, CHILE