Drone video shows wildfire devastation in Chile as death toll soars to 112 with hundreds still missing

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Drone video of devastation in Chile after wildfires swept through

Only aerial video can show the miles of coast burned by Chilean wildfires. Police and military patrol the burn scar, trying to keep order while residents return to find any valuables that may have survived the blaze.

VALPARAÍSO, Chile – Fast-moving wildfires in Chile's popular tourist region of Valparaíso have claimed the lives of at least 112 people, and there are concerns that the death toll may rise further. Hundreds more are still missing.

"We know that figure is going to grow," said President Gabriel Boric on Sunday during a press conference. "It's going to grow significantly."

He instituted an official two-day mourning period for those killed, Monday and Tuesday.

Aerial view of the aftermath of a fire at the hills in Viña del Mar, Chile on February 3, 2024.

(JAVIER TORRES/AFP / Getty Images)

Officials estimate that 14,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. Survivors told Reuters that the wind felt like a hurricane and some only had 10 minutes to flee. Flames and embers traveled quickly on the strong winds.

The popular beach communities along the coast were crowded with tourists during this height of South America's summer. The country is in a heat wave, exacerbated by El Niño conditions.

Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve announced that over the weekend the number of fires burning rose by 11 to 165 in the central and southern parts of the country.

View of the smoke cloud produced by the forest fires in Viña del Mar, taken on February 2, 2024.

(JAVIER TORRES/AFP / Getty Images)

Boric declared a state of emergency on Saturday. Firefighting and rescue efforts continue around the clock as almost 40,000 acres have burned, according to Google satellite sources.

According to Boric, curfews are being used to keep the streets clear so that emergency teams can respond to the fires as quickly as possible. He said an investigation into the cause of the deadly fires will be launched. He urged residents to heed evacuation orders when they are issued.

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Several dead as wildfires rage in Chile's Valparaiso region

Chilean officials said 10 people had been killed after fast-moving wildfires erupted in Chile’s Valparaiso region on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, according to local media.

Chile’s emergency response agency, the National System for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Attention (SENAPRED), issued a red alert and ordered the evacuation of at least 18 towns in the area, including the municipalities of Navidad, San Pedro, San Pablo and Puerto Montt. This emergency has impacted a state-protected forest reserve where more than 15,000 acres have been burned inside the Lago Peñuelas National Reserve.

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According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 74 people were rescued from 19 homes in Puerto Montt, which suffered the most damage from the wildfire, burning nearly 1,700 acres. Three individuals sustained injuries as a result of incidents related to the wildfire.

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Residents are being evacuated by the help of military personnel after a fire broke out in Valparaiso, Chile on Friday, Feb. 2,2024.

(Lucas Aguayo Araos/Anadolu / Getty Images)

Isa Carcif shot a video on a mountain highway between Viña del Mar and Quilpué showing flames consuming large areas of vegetation.

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Huge wildfires erupt in Chile's Valparaiso region

Multiple towns were ordered to evacuate as forest fires erupted in Chile’s Valparaiso region on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.

"I’ve never seen anything like it," Yvonne Guzman told the AFP. When the fire approached her home in Quilpué, she fled with her elderly mother but got stuck in traffic for hours.

"It's very distressing because we've evacuated the house, but we can't move forward," she said. "There are all these people trying to get out and who can't move."

Monsalves said the forecast of slightly lower temperatures and clouds could help crews get an upper hand on fires.