Chile now! Chile's State of Emergency: Battle Against Wildfires Devastating Central Regions

In Chile, a state of emergency has been declared in response to the battle against wildfires spreading across the central regions of the country. At least 19 people have become victims of this calamity.
The Minister of the Interior, Carolina Toha, presented an overview of the fires that have impacted the country. Monitoring data reveals that there are currently 92 active fires in the country, with 40 of them under control. The minister also noted that on the same date in the previous year, 2023, the area affected by fires was 360 thousand hectares, while this year it has already reached 440 thousand hectares.
President Gabriel Borich stated that all efforts are focused on extinguishing the fires. A particular priority in firefighting is given to the Valparaiso region due to its proximity to urban areas. Since the ignition on Friday, thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed by fire, with two fires, "Complejo Las Tablas" in the Viña-del-Mar commune and "Lo Moscoso" in the Quilpue commune, causing the greatest concern.
According to CONAF, the National Forestry Corporation of Chile, which classified the fires as "extreme," approximately 7,000 hectares have already burned in Valparaiso alone.
Coastal areas are engulfed in thick smoke, prompting local residents to evacuate their homes. Authorities have closed the road between Valparaiso and Santiago due to the dense smoke, reducing visibility. From 8:00 to 12:00 this Saturday, curfews were imposed in the communes of Viña-del-Mar, Quilpue, Villa Alemana, and Limache due to the fires. Corridors dedicated solely to the work of security services and evacuation have been established in these areas.
Social media is flooded with images of blazing mountains, captured by drivers facing flames on Highway 68, the main route leading to the beaches of the Pacific coast. The rapid spread of the fire has been facilitated by strong winds reaching speeds of 31 mph, carrying burning tree fragments and creating new fire outbreaks.
Valparaiso's representative, Sofia Gonzalez, confirmed that at least a thousand homes have already been affected by the fires. The heatwave sweeping through Chile, leading to powerful fires, also threatens to affect Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil in the coming days.
In recent years, wildfires have acquired highly dangerous characteristics, often accompanied by hurricane-force winds, rapidly spreading across vast areas. The fires are fueled not only by extreme heat and drought, occurring more frequently, causing vegetation to dry out and become ideal fuel for the fires, but also by their nearly impossible extinguishing, as highlighted in a segment of the international forum "Global Crisis. The Responsibility."