Chile’s Pacific Coast was devastated by wildfires, resulting in at least 64 deaths and hundreds of people missing. President Gabriel Boric warned that the death toll could rise significantly. The fires destroyed thousands of homes and were described as the worst disaster since the 2010 earthquake. The fires came as many were vacationing in Viña del Mar and roared through hillside settlements where many older residents were not able to escape. The destruction in Valparaíso comes as dozens of fires are burning across central and southern Chile, amid what officials have said are higher-than-normal temperatures for this time of year. Several other countries in South America have also struggled to contain wildfires. The cyclical climate phenomenon known as El Niño has exacerbated droughts and high temperatures through parts of the continent, creating conditions that experts say are ripe for forest fires. Early signs point to flawed evacuation orders, which some residents said may have contributed to the casualty count. Photographs posted on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, showed long lines of burned cars that appeared to have been engulfed in flames as people attempted to leave, drawing comparisons to the botched evacuation during last year’s fire in Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii. Mr. Castro Vázquez, of El Olivar, said residents had fled to a local square when a cellphone alert came through at about 6 p.m. on Friday. They weren’t given any instructions beyond that about having to flee, he said. Black smoke plumed over a hill from a botanical gardens on the other side of the hill, he said, and within minutes their community was engulfed in tall orange flames. Another resident, Andrés Calderón, 40, said several people in the neighborhood hadn’t wanted to leave their homes, fearing that thieves would burglarize them. On Friday, he received the alert, jumped into his car and…
2024-02-04 13:45:35
Article from www.nytimes.com