Chile Wildfires Kill 19 as Boric Orders Curfews and Military Control

Overview

• The government declared a state of catastrophe for Ñuble and Biobío, placing the armed forces in charge of emergency operations.
• Roughly 50,000 people have been evacuated, with officials reporting 18 of the 19 confirmed deaths in Biobío and one in Ñuble.
• Fires reached urban zones around Penco, Lirquén and Concepción, where homes and vehicles were burned.
• Night curfews were imposed in the worst‑hit localities as roughly 3,700 to nearly 4,000 firefighters worked multiple active fronts.
• Burned‑area estimates differ across agencies, with the latest counts exceeding 25,000 hectares while assessments continue.