Some 179 forest fires affect central and southern Chile

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Chile’s Minister of Agriculture, María Emilia Undurraga, has reported that so far, that the country has been affected by 179 forest fires that have damaged more than 20,000 hectares between the center and south of the nation.

“Today, we were in Requínoa monitoring one of the 179 active fires in the country, which unfortunately have already consumed more than 23,000 hectares this season,” the official wrote while sharing some images of the devastation caused by one of the fires in the area she visited.

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Likewise, Undurraga insisted on the joint work between the prevention forces and the citizens to face “a very complex season”, as she put it.

At a press conference, the official detailed that of the almost 180 fires identified so far, 30 have been classified as of significant magnitude.

Although most of the fires have been located in sparsely populated wooded areas, several urban areas are in danger of being affected by the spread of the flames, which is why it has been necessary to apply preventive measures.

Among the causes of the fires, as stated by the minister, are low humidity and high temperatures, conditions that will continue during the summer and lead to new outbreaks during the summer.

The 23,000 hectares affected easily exceed the 6,000 hectares burned by fires of this type in 2020.