In the center of the country, at least 122 people died, entire residential areas were devastated, cars burned and nearly 26,000 hectares were reduced to ashes.
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Hit by extreme heat waves, Chile is facing the deadliest forest fires in recent history. In the tourist coastal region of Valparaiso, in the center of the country, at least 122 people died, entire residential areas were devastated, cars charred and nearly 26,000 hectares were reduced to ashes. “This is the biggest tragedy we have seen since the 2010 earthquake”said on President Gabriel Boric, Saturday February 3, referring to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake which was followed by a tsunami on February 27, 2010, and which caused more than 500 deaths. “The possibility that these fires were intentional is under investigation”added the head of state.
While many outbreaks are still active, franceinfo lists the elements which can explain the scale of the disaster.
A heat wave is currently affecting the country
If factors such as “available fuel, land management and ignition sources” can partly favor the situation, explains to franceinfo Raul Cordero, climatologist at the University of Groningen (Netherlands), “Weather conditions are the main factor in fire activity”. Because since last week, a heat wave has hit central Chile. In the middle of the austral summer, the country experiences temperatures reaching 40°C. “The combination of strong winds and persistent heat waves caused extreme fires”, adds Raul Cordero. Miguel Castillo, from the Faculty of Forestry Sciences at the University of Chile, adds: when burning, vegetation or waste generates light and hot air, “which raises flaming particles or sparks which travel hundreds of meters, causing satellite fires”he explains to AFP.
These weather conditions don’t just affect Chile, as climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, who monitors temperature records around the world, shows below. Consequence: Colombia has also been hit by fires in recent weeks, recalls the American channel CNN. And if temperatures should drop again from Wednesday in Chile, according to the local daily El Mostadorthe heat wave now threatens Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
El Niño and global warming are fueling these fire-prone conditions
This heat wave is the result of the climatic and cyclical phenomenon El Niño, which is currently affecting the southern cone of Latin America. It affects the temperature of the Pacific Ocean, causing droughts or floods. And these conditions are made worse by global warming caused by human activity. “A change of just a few degrees in the tropical Pacific can mean the difference between a relatively calm wildfire season and widespread disaster”writes Raul Cordero in a study published in the journal Nature’s Scientific Reports.
“The conjunction of El Niño and heat waves fueled by global warming increased local fire risk and contributed decisively to the intense fire activity recently observed in central Chile. The same conditions were present a year ago.”
Raul Cordero, climatologistat franceinfo
If the researcher recalls that “we are in the middle of fire season in Chile”he emphasizes that “What turned the ‘usual’ fires into a catastrophic disaster was the extreme weather conditions. Last week was probably the hottest on record in central Chile.”
The burned houses were not very resistant
The fire reached densely populated areas, mainly in Viña del Mar. In one place, Villa Independencia, 19 people died. In this sector and others, families lived crowded together in light constructions, sometimes on land intended to serve as a firebreak, according to authorities and experts. And the lightweight materials used for these constructions, such as wood, are excellent fuel.
Flames rushed through the narrow streets of the hills, blowing up entire rows of cars parked in front of houses, survivors said. Moreover, “Fires are burning in hard-to-reach mountains” for relief, underlines the American channel CBS.
The means of control are considered insufficient
Some 1,400 firefighters and 1,300 soldiers and volunteers, supported by 31 helicopters and water-throwing planes, are mobilized to fight the flames. President Gabriel Boric, who increased the budget devoted to fire prevention and fighting by 47%, declared a state of emergency, in order to mobilize as many resources as possible. In certain areas of Valparaiso, a curfew has been established to clear the roads and allow the rapid passage of emergency vehicles or facilitate evacuations.
However, Chile still needs to review and modernize its strategy to deal with disasters of this magnitude, experts say. Thus, the country does not have nighttime fire-fighting resources. “Therefore, the probability that all the work done during the day will be lost during the night is very high”explains Michel De L’Herbe, expert in emergency management, to Cooperativa radio.
Furthermore, some point the finger at the sending of evacuation orders. Residents testify to the New York Times messages received late. “When I arrived on the road, the flames were already at the corner”tells a Chilean woman to the American daily. “The alarms have been triggered,” assures Horacio Gilabert, of the Center on Global Change at the Catholic University of Chile. “But the evacuation apparently did not work (…). The emphasis is on the fight, but not on prevention (…) and I think that is a gap”he believes.