FLORIDA, Chile (AP) — Firefighters and security forces battling blazes in Chile that have killed at least 21 people and ravaged swaths of forest this week faced other dangers, too, from attempted attacks to the threat of drone collisions.
The flames, among the worst tragedies in the country’s recent memory, have reduced 45,700 hectares (176 square miles) of woodland and a handful of towns to ashes, according to the latest report from the National Forestry
Corporation (CONAF), released Thursday.
The total area burned in the current fires has already far surpassed the area consumed by the Valparaíso and Viña del Mar inferno of 2024, which destroyed more than 8,500 hectares (33 square miles) and claimed 131 lives.
The fires have forced hundreds of people to take refuge in makeshift shelters and left a trail of destruction: burned-out vehicles, charred animals and 2,359 destroyed homes. On Thursday, the death toll rose to 21 and the number of injured to 305.
The number of victims and the extent of the damage are likely to rise.
Residents of the most-affected areas have said people were still missing. Authorities began assessing the damage and impact Wednesday and have not released an official number of possible victims.
Skeletal remains recovered by search teams have been sent for forensic analysis to determine if they are human.
“The firefighters and police worked tirelessly. It was the first time I ever saw them both cry,” Pamela Crisostomo, a neighborhood association president in Lirquén, ground zero for the tragedy, told The Associated Press.
“We are going around and handling this form, which allows people to access the benefits and support provided by the State,” said Romina Gutiérrez, a volunteer collecting data from affected families in the region.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who was visiting the Biobío region, decreed national mourning for Thursday and Friday in memory of the 21 people who lost their lives in the disaster.
“Amid the profound sorrow caused by the forest fires in the south-central region of our country, I have decided to decree two days of national mourning,” he said on X.
The fires are not the only challenge facing the nearly 8,500 Chilean firefighters who risk their lives in the flames.
At least two attacks on firefighters have been reported since the emergency began Sunday. In one case, a fire brigade was attacked with gunfire, a Fire Department statement said.
Police were investigating both cases but have not yet made arrests.
President Boric said during his visit that “any aggression against firefighters is absolutely unacceptable” and “deserves the condemnation of the entire society.”
"Those who attack firefighters will be identified and punished to the full extent of the law,” he added.
Another challenge for fire brigades was the presence of civilian drones. The unauthorized flights forced the suspension of operations around the small town of Florida, where the wildfires were out of control.
Authorities did not give details about the drone pilots, but they tend to be journalists or hobbyists attempting to film aerial videos.
The drones can interfere with firefighting aircraft dispatched to drop water or retardant, distracting firefighters or even causing them to crash. As a result, several planes that were rushing to slow the flames had to pause their work.
The National Forestry Corporation said using drones during firefighting is prohibited. “The use of unmanned aircraft can endanger the lives of helicopter and airplane pilots working to control these fires,” the statement said.
In addition to assaults and the intrusion of onlookers, firefighters are facing threats from people setting fires: At least 70 people in this fire season so far have already been arrested for causing a fire or attempting to do so, according to Boric.
Chilean Investigative Police arrested a person Thursday who was accused of starting a small fire in Punta de Parra, adjacent to Lirquén and another small town that was reduced to ashes.
“Residents of the Punta de Parra area were alerted that there was a group of people with some materials with the intention of starting fires,” explained Claudia Chamorro, head of the Biobío police region, at a press conference.
Despite the challenges, support was on its way. Mexico, the United States, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina were among countries that have joined the effort.
A total of 145 firefighters from Mexico landed at the airport in Concepción, the capital of the Biobío Region, on Thursday morning. For the next days, they will be working side-by-side with Chilean firefighters among the dozens of fires that remain active.
Air support is also expected to arrive from Uruguay, whose government provided around 30 professionals and a Uruguayan air force plane to help. The U.S. Embassy has also made contributions, “specifically with firefighting equipment, which was delivered directly to the Chilean Fire Department,” Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said at a press conference.
Van Klaveren added that Chile's government is also in talks with “United Nations agencies to explore further possibilities for assistance,” as well as with the European Union through its humanitarian aid agency.
“We are not only thinking about fighting the fires, but also about reconstruction efforts,” he remarked.
