Officials said the blazes in south-central Chile, some 280 of which were still burning Monday, have consumed about 270,000 hectares (667,000 acres) of land -- an area larger than the country of Luxembourg.
As the alarm was raised over a new surge in temperatures starting Tuesday after a brief reprieve, a DC-10 air tanker from the United States arrived in the country to join the battle by some 5,600 firefighters against 69 of the highest priority fires.
The craft is capable of dropping 36,000 liters (9,500 gallons) of water.
Chile's SENAPRED emergency response service said the fires have left 1,260 people injured and another 3,000 without homes.
At least one firefighter was among the 26 dead, and eight among the injured.
Aid volunteer Carmen Cuevas told AFP of seeing parts of her hometown of Santa Juana in the hard-hit Biobio region, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the capital Santiago, "turned to ash," as she helped Monday to distribute water to affected people.
Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters that in five days of fires, an area was destroyed equivalent to "what is usually burned in two years of fires."
Over the weekend, the minister said Chile was becoming one of the countries most vulnerable to fires due to climate change.
Fire conditions that would have seemed extreme just three years ago are becoming more common, she said.
Chile is experiencing a summer with record temperatures that have repeatedly exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in areas where this has historically been rare.
On Sunday, a plane arrived from Spain with 50 firefighting experts, soldiers and drone pilots to aid in the massive containment operation.
Argentina promised some 60 firefighters as well as trucks and a helicopter, while a contingent of 150 military and civilian specialists arrived from Mexico.
France's President Emmanuel Macron sent a message of support on Twitter, saying: "The Chilean people can count on the support of France to fight against this catastrophe," while Portugal said it was ready to send 140 firefighters.
According to Chile's foreign ministry, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela have also pledged aid.
"It is wonderful to see how other countries that have their own problems and needs, are allocating their resources to help us right now," Toha said in a message of thanks.
Makeshift clinic saving pets burned in Chile forest fires
Santa Juana, Chile (AFP) Feb 6, 2023 -
The kitten "was rolled into a ball" and had "his paws deformed and his little face burned," said Carolina Gonzalez, a volunteer at a make-shift clinic in Santa Juana, one of the settlements hardest hit by devastating forest fires in Chile this past week.
The clinic, hastily erected in a school, saw 70 furry patients on Sunday alone -- and more than 150 in three days -- including the kitten that had its paws strapped up and its face carefully cleaned after being saved from a house abandoned in the inferno.
Dogs, cats, chickens, horses and cows ... domestic animals too have suffered from the fires that have razed some 270,000 hectares (667,000 acres) of land -- an area larger than Luxembourg -- and claimed 26 human lives by Monday.
"We wanted to set up this center because we know... there are many animals that were affected," Susan Angulo, a veterinarian in charge of the improvized clinic, told AFP.
"There are many rural areas that are totally burnt."
Angulo said volunteer teams are travelling to villages, fields and forests in search of animals that need help after the devastating blazes that hit south-central Chile since last week.
"We have tried to reach all of the most affected areas," she said.
Many people fled from the flames with just the clothes on their backs, and with no time to rescue pets.
The clinic receives medical supplies and food via donations from the public and from veterinarians.
About half the area of Santa Juana, home to some 13,000 people scattered between its urban center and surrounding farmland and forests, was destroyed by flames fueled by strong wind, record high temperatures and drought conditions blamed on climate change.
The town is more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.
"We know that more animals are going to appear, because they are in shock," said Angulo.
For now, they are hiding, but later, "they will continue to show up in a bad state," she said.
Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
