A devastating Chile fire outbreak has left at least 19 people dead. Authorities confirmed the casualties on Monday. Consequently, the government has launched mass evacuations. Firefighters are currently fighting nearly two dozen blazes. These fires are exacerbated by intense heat and high winds.

Current Status of the Chile Fire Crisis

Weather conditions overnight helped control some flames. However, the largest fires remain active. Security Minister Luis Cordero stated that adverse conditions are expected all day.

“The projection we have today is of high temperatures,” Cordero said. He added that the main worry is new fires triggering throughout the region.

Parts of central and southern Chile remain under extreme heat warnings. Temperatures could reach up to 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit). This extreme heat makes the Chile fire situation much more dangerous.

Hundreds of Homes Destroyed

Sadly, most of the victims died in Penco. This is a small coastal city north of Concepcion. On Monday morning, thousands of residents sifted through the rubble. Meanwhile, firefighters continued to extinguish nearby fires.

Ana Caamaño, 51, is a resident of Lirquen. She rummaged through the ashes of her childhood home. Amid the wreckage, she found the corpse of a dog and some charred rings.

“They’re not that important,” Caamaño said about the rings. “But they’re memories.”

Caamaño and her husband were visiting family when the Chile fire broke out. Their son, Franco, was home at the time. He tried to hose down the house. However, a sudden strong wind brought a black cloud of smoke. This forced him to flee immediately.

“It came like lightning, it was so quick,” Franco said. Many residents shared this experience. The fast-moving fire gave them almost no time to escape.

State of Emergency Declared

Authorities say 325 homes are destroyed. Additionally, 1,100 more homes are being evaluated. As of Monday afternoon, Chile’s CONAF forestry agency reported 26 active fires. The largest are in the Ñuble and Bío Bío regions. Therefore, President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in these areas.

Over 20,000 hectares have been razed so far. This area is about the size of Seattle. The largest Chile fire has surpassed 14,000 hectares near Concepcion.

Currently, authorities are battling the fire near Manzano prison. It also threatens the town of Tome. Both Chile and Argentina started the new year with heat waves. Consequently, these high temperatures have continued into January.