Chile forest fire rages near Valparaiso, thousands evacuated
World Heritage Site under threat from flames as firefighters battle to preserve city with around 32,000 inhabitants
A serious forest fire spread quickly on Chile’s coast on Friday and threatened to reach the nearby port cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar.
Officials said the fire began at an illegal garbage dump in the afternoon and flames were spread quickly by high winds, leading authorities to declare a state of catastrophe in the area. Deputy Interior Secretary Mahmud Aleuy said that about 4,500 people in six neighbourhoods had been evacuated as flames advanced nearby and that an additional 10,000 might need to be moved.
The interior ministry said a 67-year-old woman died of cardio-respiratory causes, and firefighters reported at least 10 people injured.
Chile’s Emergency Office estimated that about 300 hectares had been affected by late on Friday.
Chile suffered its worst urban fire in the same general area, in April last year, when a raging blaze that started as a forest fire leaped from hilltop to hilltop in Valparaiso, killing 15 people, injuring more than 500 and destroying more than 2,900 homes.
