Overview
- Authorities report at least 21 dead, 45,700 hectares burned and 2,359 homes destroyed, with injuries rising to 305 and assessments ongoing.
- Firefighters were battling 19 active blazes on Thursday across Biobío, Ñuble and Araucanía, after earlier counts peaked higher early in the week.
- Police announced a third arson arrest and earlier seized accelerants in separate cases, while at least 70 people this fire season have been detained for causing or attempting to cause fires.
- President Gabriel Boric decreed two days of national mourning and the government outlined payouts of roughly $700 to $1,500 for affected families, as about 20,000 people reported property damage.
- International reinforcements arrived, including 145 Mexican firefighters and equipment support from the United States and Uruguay, even as drones and reported attacks complicated aerial and ground operations.