Chile Megafire Trial Opens for Nine Over 138 Deaths
JUSTICE · CHILE
Key Facts
- —The country Chile is a South American country of about 20 million people. The Valparaíso region on its central coast holds the port city and the resort of Viña del Mar.
- —What happened A Valparaíso court opened the trial of nine people on 2 October 2026. They are accused over the 2 February 2024 megafire, which prosecutors say killed 138.
- —Who is involved Five former volunteer firefighters, three former Conaf forestry brigade members and one former official of Senapred, the disaster agency. Prosecutors seek life sentences for all nine.
- —What it means for you Hearings are set to run for more than two months, possibly until late November. Families of the dead may finally hear the evidence tested in open court.
- —Still open The defence had not yet presented its case on day one. A separate probe into possible negligence by officials continues.
The megafire trial over the 2024 Valparaíso region blaze opened on Friday, 2 October, in Valparaíso. Nine people stand accused of setting the fire of 2 February 2024, which prosecutors say killed 138 people.
The case is heard by the Tribunal de Juicio Oral en lo Penal de Valparaíso, the regional criminal trial court. La Tercera and BioBioChile both reported the opening, with the hearings expected to last more than two months.
Who stands accused
The defendants are five former volunteer firefighters and three former brigade members of Conaf, the state forestry agency. The ninth is a former Senapred official. Senapred is Chile’s national disaster response service.
La Tercera named all nine: Maximiliano Véliz, Claudio Gamboa, Elías Salazar, Francisco Mondaca, Matías Cordero, José Jerez, Ángel Barahona, Franco Pinto and José Atenas. BioBioChile reported that the indictment casts Atenas as the alleged leader.
All nine face charges of criminal association, arson resulting in death and environmental damage. Mondaca is also charged with carrying homemade explosives, according to La Tercera and 24horas.
What prosecutors allege
The prosecution says the group set controlled fires in protected areas and elsewhere to create emergencies. Those emergencies required their firefighting services and, it argues, brought them greater financial returns.
According to the indictment as reported by 24horas in July 2025, the group was active from December 2021 until February 2024. Prosecutors are asking for life imprisonment for all nine defendants.
The fire swept through Viña del Mar, Quilpué and Villa Alemana. La Tercera reported thousands of homes destroyed, while 24horas cited about 8,000 hectares burned, including Viña del Mar’s botanical garden.
How the trial will run
The first day was given over to the opening accusations from prosecutors and the plaintiffs. La Tercera reported that defence lawyers were expected to set out their arguments on Monday.
Regional outlet G5noticias said the hearings are scheduled, provisionally, until late November. BioBioChile reported that hundreds of people will take part, including witnesses, expert witnesses, plaintiffs and defence lawyers.
Lawyer Felipe Olea represents relatives of more than 60 victims, G5noticias reported. For many families, the trial is the first chance to see the evidence tested in open court.
A wider question of responsibility
The criminal trial covers only the alleged arsonists. A separate investigation is looking at whether public authorities and officials share responsibility for the scale of the disaster.
In July, two former Conaf employees were formally placed under investigation for negligent homicide, according to G5noticias and La Tercera. That case is at an earlier stage and has not reached trial.
Fires remain a seasonal risk for the region. The Rio Times covered a September blaze near the port city in Chile Wildfire Rattles Valparaíso: What Travelers and Expats Need to Know.
What Is Not Yet Known
The defence has not yet presented its case, and all nine defendants are presumed innocent until a verdict. It is not known how they will answer the charges in court.
The final length of the megafire trial is also uncertain. The court has set no date for a verdict, and the parallel negligence probe has no trial date.
Sources: La Tercera (2 October 2026); BioBioChile (2 October 2026); G5noticias (1 October 2026); 24horas (July 2025).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief