Between Sunday and Monday, aid arrived in Chile from
Argentina, Spain and Mexico, while the authorities said they
expected to receive new support from Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay,
Peru, Portugal and Venezuela.
The fires have not affected the mining industry in the
world's top copper producing nation, with mines located mostly
in the north of the country, but they have hit Chile's
agricultural and major forestry sector.
The Chilean Wood Corporation, an industry association, told
Reuters on Monday that its partners are currently focused on the
emergency and do not yet have a preliminary assessment of the
impact.
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Chile wildfires Chile wildfires (Interactive) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting by Fabian Andres Cambero; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
(Updates death toll and arrests)
By Fabian Cambero
SANTIAGO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Chilean firefighters were
battling to hold back forest fires on Monday as authorities said
hot and dry weather would continue this week, potentially
exacerbating what are already the deadliest blazes in the
country's recent history.
The fires, which have consumed 270,000 hectares (667,000
acres) of land, have killed 26 people so far in south-central
Chile, and already made 2023 the second worst year in terms of
hectares burned after the so-called "fire storm" that hit the
country in 2017.
The state National Forestry Corporation reported that as of
Monday morning there were 275 active fires, of which 69 were
currently in combat.
"Unity to face the tragedy, unity to rebuild ourselves,"
President Gabriel Boric wrote on Twitter.
Chile is in the grip of an over decade-long period of dry
weather, which the World Meteorological Organization called a
"mega drought" last year, adding it was the longest in a
thousand years and marked a major water crisis.
The heat wave and strong winds have caused a rapid spread of
the flames during the Southern Hemisphere summer season.
The country's interior minister said on Monday that 11
people so far have been arrested for actions related to the
fires, without providing details the nature of the suspected
crimes because of ongoing investigations. On Friday, Boric
pointed to signs that some of the fires may have been started
intentionally.
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