Chile wildfires kill at least 18, thousands evacuated

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Chilean soldiers patrol the damage after a wildfire in Concepcion, Chile, January 18, 2026. /VCG

Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced on Tuesday that raging forest fires in the Bio-Bio and Nuble regions have left at least 18 people dead, with fears that the death toll could rise further.

In a social media post earlier in the day, President Boric declared a state of catastrophe for the two central-southern regions, authorizing the use of all necessary resources to combat the severe wildfires.

According to Chile's National Forest Management Corporation, 24 active forest fires remained uncontained as of 9:30 a.m. Among them, nine are in Nuble and three in Bio-Bio. The largest fire, burning in the city of Ranquil in Nuble, has already consumed approximately 2,200 hectares of land.

Alicia Sefrian, director of Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, told media outlets that in the hardest-hit community of Penco, located in the Bio-Bio region, at least 30,000 residents have been forced to evacuate. A full assessment of property damage is still underway.

(Cover via VCG)

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