Overview
- President Gabriel Boric extended emergency powers to Ñuble and Biobío, enabling direct support from the armed forces.
- Authorities report more than two dozen active blazes, with roughly 8,500 hectares burned in the hardest‑hit regions.
- Officials say at least 18 people have died as evacuations surged past 50,000, with counts expected to rise as damage assessments continue.
- Most evacuations were concentrated in the Biobío towns of Penco and Lirquén, where residents and local leaders described rapid overnight fire spread and early gaps in federal assistance.
- Senapred and CONAF cite temperatures near 38°C and strong winds as key hurdles, with hundreds of homes destroyed and containment operations ongoing.