Santiago-Chile-February 4, 2023

The outbreak caused dozens of forest fires in Chile

The government has extended an emergency order to another region after a severe heat wave complicated efforts to control fires that have killed at least 22 people so far.

Thus, the emergency order, announced by the Ministry of the interior, now covers the area of La Araucania, located just south of the two previously declared zones, namely Biobio and its neighboring Nobile, near the center of the long Pacific coast of the South American country. The three regions are home to many farms and forests.

An emergency support helicopter in La Araucania crashed on Friday, killing its pilot and a mechanic, officials said.

According to the authorities, 11 people, or half of the number of victims reported so far, died in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, located about 500 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.

Since late last week, helicopters have been dropping a fire retardant to control the raging flames amid rising clouds of smoke that have blocked roads, while firefighters and local residents alike have sought to contain the flames.

Emergency orders allow the deployment of soldiers and the allocation of additional resources to deal with a natural disaster.

According to official data released late on Friday evening, the fires came on an area of about 99 thousand acres, an area larger than the American city of Philadelphia.

According to the national forestry agency, efforts are currently underway to control 80 of the total 231 forest fires, while 151 of them are under control.

The warning was raised to the red level from a few dozen fires.