SANTIAGO – Southern Chile is battling 27 fires that have burnt approximately 7,821 hectares of land, Chilean President Gabriel Boric said Monday.
Government employees in various branches have been deployed to affected areas to help local communities fighting fires, he said.
“Yesterday, several fires broke out in the Biobio and Araucanía regions, and therefore the SAE (Emergency Alert System) evacuation warnings were activated, and we currently have approximately 100 people in shelters,” the Chilean president said at a press conference.
Boric said he dispatched personnel from across the government to areas hit by fire to accompany “those affected and their families.”
As many as 34 fires around the country have already been brought under control, he said.
“We’ve had a season with many fires … that we have managed to control in a timely manner for the most part,” he added.
Between the Biobio and Araucanía regions, in the southern part of the South American country, fires have razed a total of 7,821 hectares, according to figures from the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf).
The largest fires have broken out in the commune of Traiguen, where about 2,000 hectares were burnt, followed by Galvarino, with 1,136 hectares destroyed, and Padre Las Casas, where 1,039 hectares were lost. All are located more than 650 kilometers south of the country’s capital Santiago.
XINHUA
