Chile declares emergency as wildfires kill at least 15

Santiago, Chile: Wildfires raging in southern Chile have killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, the government said Sunday...

Santiago, Chile: Wildfires raging in southern Chile have killed at least 15 people and forced more than 50,000 to evacuate, the government said Sunday.

Security Minister Luis Cordero gave the tolls for the blazes burning for two days now in the Nuble and Biobio regions about 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Santiago.

President Gabriel Boric earlier declared a state of emergency as crews battled flames fueled by gusting winds and hot weather in the southern hemisphere summer.

In this aerial view smoke and flames billow from burning houses during a wildfire in Concepcion, Chile, on January 18, 2026. Photo by GUILLERMO SALGADO / AFP

Nearly two dozen blazes are burning across the country, many of them in Nuble and Biobio.