Why were the fires in Chile, which left more than 100 dead, so destructive?

It has been described as one of the greatest tragedies that Chile has experienced in recent decades.

With more than 110 people dead and around 15,000 homes affected, the fire that hit the Valparaíso region has the South American country shocked.

In two of the hardest hit cities, Viña del Mar and Quilpué -located about 120 kilometers from the capital Santiago-, entire towns were left in ashes.

The images are devastating. Hundreds of people lost their homes and are now trying to recover some of their belongings from the rubble.

The authorities have assured that there is proven evidence that some of the lights were turned on intentionally.

The president himself, Gabriel Boric, has called for collecting “all the information” about the origin of the fires.

“It is difficult to think that there could be such miserable and heartless people capable of causing so much death and pain,” he said.

“But if these people exist, we are going to look for them, we are going to find them and they will have to face not only the rejection of the entire society, but also the full weight of the law,” he added.

Although large fires are not a new phenomenon in Chile – it has already experienced critical years in 2014, 2017 and 2023, among others – the latter has an unprecedented dimension due to the number of victims.

One of the factors that has attracted the most attention is the speed with which it spread.

“In just 10 minutes, the fire was with us. There was smoke, the sky turned black and everything was dark. The wind was like a hurricane. It was like being in hell.”a woman who was in one of the affected areas told the local press.

How do you explain the level of destruction left by this incident? And why did it spread so quickly? Here we tell you.

1. Prolonged drought and forest plantations

Chile has suffered droughts for at least the last 15 years, which has been directly attributed by scientists to climate change.

The phenomenon mainly affects the central area of ​​the country – where the Valparaíso region is located – due to a prolonged rainfall deficit.

Although last winter it rained more than in previous years, experts have warned that the consequences of the drought are still present.

And the period of water scarcity has been so long that the vitality of the soil has been affected.

As the soils are drier, the vegetation suffers from what experts call “water stress.” In short, plant material burns more easily.

Added to the above is that in both the central and southern areas of Chile there are many invasive species, such as pine or eucalyptus, which have been introduced from the production of cellulose and wood in the country.

These forest plantations surround several areas of Valparaíso and burn more easily, experts say.

“The famous pine and eucalyptus burn relatively quickly, and in addition to that we have other invasive shrub species that generate a very high amount of fuel,” Aníbal Pauchard, director of the Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity at the University of Conception.

2. Strong winds and high temperatures

Weather conditions also played an important role in the level of destruction of the incident.

Since the fire began, on Friday, February 2, the temperature in the Valparaíso region has exceeded 33 degrees.

This temperature was described by meteorologists as “extremely high and unusual” for that coastal area.

Wind gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour were also recorded, which was favorable for the spread of the fire. And a lower than usual humidity level.

This especially affects urban areas located in ravines that, according to experts, act as “wind accelerators,” making it more difficult to control fires.

And the abundance of hills and valleys contributes to the winds acquiring greater speed.

3. Population density

Another factor that explains the extent of the destruction of this fire has to do with the infrastructure of the affected areas.

According to experts, some of the burned areas are densely populated, without adequate planning patterns, connectivity or retaining walls.

Many of the homes in these areas are precarious and are made with light materials or wood, which are easily flammable.

In statements to Radio Cooperativa, Miguel Castillo, an academic at the Faculty of Forestry Sciences of the University of Chile, pointed out that the affected area “is very complicated.”

“These are areas that have had a very high increase in geographic population density (…). It is one of the reasons that explains why the fire advanced so quickly,” he indicated.

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